Sarah Jacklich likes her job as a carnival worker.

A college student in Los Angeles, Jacklich spends her summers luring willing customers to shoot baskets for prizes. At least that is the job her boss gave her on Saturday at the Clatsop County Fair.

As a carny, she does what her manager tells her to, what she has been trained to do.

I love traveling, and I love the people, she says about her job with Davis Amusement Cascadia. It is one of several carnival companies that entertain millions of people around the country every year at county and state fairs.

Jacklich and many others like her are shattering the image of the typical carnival worker as a person who is down on their luck and cant land another job. In fact, many carnies these days are college students pursuing degrees and do the work because they love driving around the country making people happy.

One of Jacklishs best friends, Isaac, works the carnival. They met at the church the owner attends and were hired because they are outgoing, honest and like working with people.

I just love making kids smile, Isaac says. In this job, you get to be yourself, and make a pretty good living, too. Its a lot of fun.

Isaac, who says hes wary about giving out his last name, runs the dartboard/balloon pop amusement at the carnival. Many customers who come to his booth want to know how to get the biggest prizes. He tells them they have to work their way up. Three balloons popped for a small prize; three small prizes for a medium prize, etc.

When the day is done, Isaac and many of his companions bunk in the back of the amusement trailers, which serve as housing for the carnies. Hes majoring in business management at Evangel University in St. Louis.

Were moving to Hermiston after Astoria. This fair has been good; its been steady, he says, although the heat yesterday kept some people away.

Jacey Davis of Spokane, Wash., is a high school student working for the carnival. Her friend, Lacey Gregory of Washougal, Wash., works with her Saturday afternoon in one of the kiddy amusements.

This job is really fun, especially when the kids get their prizes and we make them so happy, says Gregory, a senior at the Clark County Skills Center who wants to major in culinary arts in college.

I love connecting with the people and seeing new places each week, said Gregory.

At the Clatsop County Fair, Davis and Gregory were part of a carnival staff of 38. While the staff vary in their age and experience, all have to go through fingerprinting, background checks and drug tests, according to Celeste Davis, manager of the carnival.

Were a family-oriented show, not some big corporation. In fact, the owners travel right with us most of the year, said Davis.

Davis says their staff will grow to around 150 people at larger venues, but that they always try to keep it a good, clean atmosphere and stay positive. Davis says it is her job to find the balance between having enough rides and amusements and covering her expenses.

Fuel oil for our generators is really expensive right now, she said. According to Davis, contrary to what most people think, a carnival adds to the local economy while it is in town.

We buy all our fuel and all our food locally, she said.

While it doesnt take much instruction to run a carnival amusement, it does to run a carnival ride.

They guys on the big equipment go through a lot of training, and some have been with us a long time, says Davis. Her company has two main carnival groups. They start in Nevada and work their way north during the summer and their way south when school starts again.