Editor’s Note: A good job is hard to find. They are few and far between, and for students finding a job that will work with a demanding school schedule is nearly impossible. The upcoming issues hope to take a look at the difficulty of finding good jobs and ways to go about doing just that.

I don’t get offended anymore when people call me a “walking cliché.” Yes, I am from Seattle. And yes, I do work for Starbucks. But I assure you, neither are prerequisites for the other.

In fact, I had been a student at Lee University for a full semester when I first started working for Starbucks, and at that time, I had never in my entire life consumed any form of coffee or espresso beverage. Ever.

So it may come as a surprise that I am about to be certified as a “Coffee Master” and receive the highly coveted, within the Starbucks network, black apron. If you’ve ever wondered why some Starbucks employees wear black aprons instead of green ones, now you know. Pay your respects, they worked really hard for it.

Starbucks came to me when I was going through difficult times (i.e. a major breakup and living 2,600 miles away from home), so I get defensive when I hear people complain about the prices or how a Starbucks store can be seen on every corner in certain parts of the country. I don’t deny that the drinks are pricy or that Starbucks perpetuates America’s addiction to caffeine, but from an employee’s standpoint, I believe in the company’s principles because they took care of me when no one else could.

Recently, Fortune magazine ranked Starbucks as the 7th best company to work for in the United States, up from 16th place in 2007. And I can truthfully say I am proud to be one of the elite. I’ve had many jobs, like working for a holistic dog food shop, and I was a bank teller at one point, but I’ve never felt cared for as I do working for Starbucks. It’s even difficult for me to call myself an “employee” because within the company, we always refer to each other as “partners.” Make fun if you wish, but after 90 days of working, a chunk of Starbucks stock belonged to me and has been rapidly “vesting” ever since. However, I don’t just own stock. Starbucks also helps me pay bills while I’m in school. At the end of each semester, I receive funds through Starbucks’ Tuition Reimbursement program. And for Starbucks partners in need, there is the Caring Unites Partners (CUP) Fund, which provides money to those with difficult financial conditions.

Of course, like any job, there are days when I’m tired and I just don’t feel like working. But it’s hard to have a bad attitude when the company you work for also works for you. And even though I caved in for coffee and drink it on a more-than regular basis, I don’t regret taking a job with one of the most recognizable brands in the country.

I feel privileged working there. And I don’t think that’s cliché.