As the school year is wrapping up, we all are feeling the pressure of our final projects and exams. Yet, one particular group of students are currently lifting an extra load of cargo: Juniors with part-time jobs. There are classmates in our community balancing the weight of their homework with the demands of their shifts. To learn more about how these students are handling this lifestyle, I interviewed three juniors who are currently making that bank. Ever stopped by Dion’s across the street after school with some friends? Perhaps you’ll see Cole P ‘26 calling out orders and mixing salads. Ever been in the mood for some spicy Pad Thai? Brooke ‘26 can show you to your seat at Jinja on Paseo. Ever considered taking a dip in the west-campus Academy pool? Well, Zoey ‘26 will be on-stand and ready to save your life if need be. These three juniors will comment on their experiences with having a part-time job in the midst of the stresses of school life. Balancing books and paychecks…how do they do it?
Cole works at Dion’s on Academy and Wyoming. A walking distance from school, anyone could easily pop by and put him to work tossing dough or sprinkling cheese. Cole has been working at Dion’s since last October, and he has worked an average of nine hours a week since then. When asked why he decided to get a job, naturally he mentioned the money. On top of the staggering $13.50 an hour, Cole also liked the idea of getting some early job experience before going off to college. He said he wondered how he could “stay busy and not just doom scroll or spend hours on video games” and noted that he’s “keeping myself busy for helpful reasons.” As for picking Dion’s over any other place to work, Cole said that Dions had “a really good working environment. It’s really friendly, and it’s super fun to work at. [The] hours are super, super flexible…That’s why Dion’s is so awesome.”
Once punched in, Cole gets his complementary worker’s drink, puts on his apron and hat, and gets cookin’ on his assigned station for the day. Whether it be rolling out pizzas, putting together subs, or calling out orders into the microphone, Cole focuses his attention on the task at hand. But, things can get stressful in the Dion’s kitchen. Cole said, “I’ve learned that taking deep breaths really helps when things get stressful,…[and] things can get really stressful at Dion’s. I mean, Halloween is one of the busiest days for the whole year because everybody wants pizza, and Dion’s is kind of the pizza place. During times like that, you just have to take deep breaths and just kind of regroup.” On top of stress in the kitchen, what about the stress applied by the hours of homework time he’s losing?
Cole seems to have a grip on his time management. He said that he “strategically chooses which days [to] work,” and, thankfully, Dions allows its employees to pick which days they’re available to come in. Yet, having this job hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows for Cole. It has taken away some opportunities from him and taken a toll on his sleep schedule. Cole said, “now that I’m working at Dion’s, I probably [couldn’t] do other clubs that I would be interested in that require a lot of dedication, say, for example, Speech and Debate…[And,] Especially when [I] have a closing shift, which is where [I have to] work till ten or 11, it really messes with [my] sleep schedule.” But, over all the struggles, Cole would suggest other Academy students get part-time jobs too. He mentioned how familiarizing yourself with balancing work and other things in your life is a valuable skill that will help you in the long run.
Brooke works at Jinja on Paseo and Ventura. Because her Mom knew the manager, Brooke had an easy in to the job, and she’s been restaurant hosting like a boss for a little over a year now. She works for five-and-a-half hours a week on Sundays. Brooke’s shift consists of her showing up 30 minutes before the restaurant opens and cleaning the windows and entryway. She then fills up the buckets with sanitizer and waits for customers to show up. When they do, she shows them to their tables and then cleans off the tables when they leave. On top of a newfound value for cleanliness, Brooke says her people skills have gotten better. She’s now better at talking to people she doesn’t know. Yet, as any employee in the history of the world knows, people are unpleasant. Brooke said, “Sometimes people are just rude or rush me or don’t want to be there, and it’s like, then don’t show up. I’m the one helping you out.” You tell ‘em, Brooke. Despite having to deal with nastiness, Brooke does recommend other students get part-time jobs. She said, “I think it’s good to develop social skills and to have some independence from your parents financially.” But, the question remains: how on earth do you balance school with your hostess-ing? Other than mentioning making plans with friends is more difficult with a job, Brooke said, “I don’t know, it’s just never really been a problem.” Well, that settles it. If you want money, people skills, and more financial freedom, get a job, folks!
Zoey works right here on campus! Reynold’s Regatta location? More like Zoey’s place of work! She lifeguards, teaches swim lessons to little kids, and works in the pro shop. She’s been a valued member of the natatorium team since she was a freshman. Typically, she works 2-3 times a week for about three hours a day. Back when she was a youngin’, her friend’s mom wanted her to become lifeguard-certified, and, in the process of getting certified, she was offered a job. When asked why she accepted, she said, “I low-key needed money, and my mom told me that she wasn’t going to pay for my gas. I had to find a way to pay for my gas.”
Natatorium final boss Zoey’s shift looks like this: she shows up, rotates with the other lifeguards on stand, and teaches kids swim lessons for 30 minutes in the shallow pool. Then, when she goes upstairs to work in the pro-shop, she said she “just [goes] in there and [sits] behind the desk and then [she] can do homework”. Zoey does homework while working. Win-win. But when homework gets dense, Zoey said, “I just kind of have to put my priorities first. So if I know that I’m going to need money in an upcoming week, then I’ll have to work. But if I know that I’m also going to have a test, then I’ll have to just figure out a way to make both happen.” On top of making money and bettering her social skills, Zoey said her favorite things about her job are “the friendships [she’s] made at [her] job. [She] like[s] helping people.”
As finals approach and stress levels rise, it’s easy to forget that some students are juggling far more than tests and term papers. Cole, Brooke, and Zoey are perfect examples of what it looks like to balance academic life with real-world responsibilities. From fast-paced kitchens and moody restaurant guests to chlorine-scented lifeguard stands, these Juniors are learning time management, people skills, and resilience from real life experience. Although they have sacrificed their free time when they could be doing other things, each of them expressed how much they’ve grown from their jobs and how much they recommend other students get one too. So, next time you see a classmate in uniform after school, give them some credit. They’re balancing a lot.
