Seniors Samantha Niggel and Din Goawala both work at the Baldwin Bean coffee shop, where they have gained work experience and become friends. It is also where Goawala, a Deaf student who communicates mostly through American Sign Language and an interpreter, has helped Niggel develop her growing ASL skills.
“I one hundred percent learn signs from him that I wouldn’t have learned yet through (ASL 1) class,” Niggel said.
With Niggel knowing a bit of sign language, the pair are better able to communicate while they work.
“He looks to me a lot for guidance,” Niggel said.
The Baldwin Bean, which opened in 2018, operates on a Partners model that pairs students of varying abilities to teach job skills and promote inclusion.
Student workers at the Bean complete various tasks during periods two and three, which is when the Bean is open. These jobs include ringing up customers at the register, filling the latte cups, and wrapping and distributing cookies and donuts.
Goawala, who has worked at the Bean for three years, said through his interpreter, Stacey Field, that the job can be challenging when the Bean is busy and the lattes have to be quickly refilled. However, Goawala said, the Bean helps build skills like talking with customers, working well with other people, and forming friendships with other workers.
Niggel said that because she and Goawala both participate in the Best Buddies program, the Unified Bocce team, and the Bean, their friendship has gotten a lot stronger.
“We talk all the time at The Bean, we learn more about each other, and sometimes we make plans outside of school,” she said.
Eric Jankoski, the transition coordinator at Baldwin, came up with the idea of the Bean. He and some other staff members were influenced by other schools with similar coffee shops operating on a Partners type model.
“When we started the idea, we did know that a couple of other schools had similar operations. We actually did go look into other places,” Jankoski said. “We liked the idea of having a separate space where students could hang out if they wanted to or do their work.”
Jankoski said there are challenges in operating the Bean. For instance, he said, things can get difficult when there is a line out the door, or when a customer spills a drink.
However, Jankoski said these struggles help the workers develop problem-solving skills.
“It’s good for our students because it helps with customer service and experiencing things like making mistakes, learning in the moment, and guessing the amount of stuff needed for the day,” he said.
Marissa Gallagher, the district’s director of student services, has seen the impact that the Bean has had on its workers. She agreed with Jankoski, saying that it has given students valuable skills that are applicable in all aspects of their lives.
“Beyond technical skills, they’ve grown personally, building self-esteem and learning how to navigate real-world challenges in a supportive environment. It’s a fantastic stepping stone for their personal and professional growth,” she said.
Gallagher works with the Bean, making sure it “aligns with (Baldwin’s) goals for student growth and inclusion.” However, she said the real credit goes to the students and staff who operate the Bean.
“They are the ones who bring innovative ideas to life and create meaningful opportunities for our students,” she said. “I simply have the privilege of saying ‘yes’ to their amazing and creative initiatives.”
Challenges in running the Bean do not take away from fun aspects of the experience. Jankoski said his favorite part of the Bean is the lighthearted mood.
“Honestly, I think it’s just the students that come into the Bean,” he said. “I think it’s just a cool environment, and I just overall like the space and the mood. We really have a good time and laugh and joke around.”
Nathan Davis, who also works at the Bean, said working there includes some independent tasks.
“With some jobs, I just do my own thing,” he said.
Davis said that training for the Bean was pretty easy, since he also works for Baldwin’s Innovation Shop, another student business operating on the Partners model that Jankoski helps run. Both programs aim to give students work experience for life after graduation. Davis said he plans to attend CCAC after high school to work with computers.
Outside of Baldwin, Davis also works for The Next Inning concession stand, which operates under The Miracle League of the South Hills at their Upper St. Clair baseball field location. The Next Inning teaches similar skills but also involves working with customers of a variety of ages instead of just fellow high schoolers.
Davis’ father, Dan Davis, said he thinks the Bean can open doors for future job opportunities for his son.
“With so many coffee shops opening, he will already know a lot of the processes to be employed for those types of jobs,” Dan Davis said.
He said that Nathan often fills the family in on his daily events, as well as how the coffee shop was that day.
“Nathan usually does a school recap every day,” his father said. “He will tell us what his duty was that day at The Bean, who came to the store, and if he tried anything to drink.”
