TROJANS AT WORK: Part 1
Six hardworking students share their insights on maintaining balance between academics and a part-time job.
High school on its own is a difficult time for students to learn how to manage social skills, academic success, and time management. Yet, in many cases some students take the extra step to find employment to fill their after school schedules. The Odyssey staff spoke with several YVHS students about their current employments. Here’s Part 1:
Brandon Goodpaster (Class of 2019)
Brandon recently joined the Marshall’s crew during this last summer vacation. He currently works roughly fifteen hours a week, doing what it takes to be reliable and pristine in all aspects of his schooling and work life.
“Get a job you see yourself improving in.” — Brandon on growth
While being an actively involved student and a part-time worker, Brandon is also a key asset to Trojan Baseball, holding positions as pitcher, first and third base. Time management can be difficult while committed to six classes, sports, and a job, but according to Brandon, his job “helps [him] achieve responsibility.”
Rachael Kee (Class of 2019)
Having been an employee at Juice It Up for just over two years now, Rachael is highly experienced in the difficulties of balancing school, extra curricular, self-care, and work. She explains to us how being a committed high school senior while working about more than twenty hours a week can be stressful.
“Be sure you are prepared to be hit with a large workload. You must be ready for the stress of getting called in to work on the day you were supposed to do those thirteen APUSH assignments you procrastinated on that are due tomorrow.” — Rachael on job expectations
Students get jobs during high school for various reasons. Rachael began working with a specific goal in mind. “My job has helped me achieve purchasing my first car when I was sixteen,” she said. “I am currently saving to trade-in the first and buy my second car next month, so I can have a better vehicle for college.” Rachael works hard to keep up with schoolwork and her many extracurricular activities while remaining a reliable employee.
“Manage your time and prioritize effectively. At work, being three minutes late can put your job at risk.”
Daniel Lorette (Class of 2021)
Sophomore Daniel Lorette works part-time at his family-owned business, Joshua Tree Saloon. As an honors student who also serves as Sophomore Class Vice President, Daniel has much to juggle between work and school. Customer service can be a bother to some, yet Daniel loves his time on the job: “I like how I get to work with customers and work on my social skills.”
So how does Daniel manage to complete coursework while staying so busy? “I work on the weekends, on Friday night and Saturday night. I save the daytime[s] and Sunday for homework.” By working with his employer, Daniel is able to craft a schedule which works for him, enabling efficiency in both his job and school.
“Let your employer know beforehand the hours you can work.” — Daniel on availability
Armando Martinez (Class of 2019)
Armando Martinez is highly committed to his job at Taco Bell in Yucca Valley. Having been an employee for six months and working about fourteen hours a week, Armando gives us his opinion on what its like to be a student worker on the weekends.
“There are ups and downs about jobs, but this one is pretty balanced and is very flexible with hours. [Taco Bell] likes to hire people that are attending school, whether it is high school or college.”
Finding comfort in an unfamiliar situation can be difficult if the environment and people are not welcoming. Armando tells us that Taco Bell “creates a safe environment to work in…and team members are very friendly.”
Armando plans to attend Copper Mountain College in the Fall of 2019, and is working to achieve his goal of furthering his education. He tells us how his job is another step to success. “This job has a scholarship opportunity when they can help a worker in paying for their schooling.” Armando plans to utilize this resource to work towards his goals for college.
“Get a job that doesn’t cut into school.” — Armando’s advice for students
Christian Nussbaum (Class of 2019)
Senior Christian Nussbaum has been a loyal employee on the weekends at Papa John’s in Yucca Valley for just about three months. His customer service experience is continuously advancing his social skills, adding to his personal goal of motivational speaking. “It helps me get better by talking to people.”
“Definitely ask only to work on the weekends. Even though you do get rid of hanging out with friends on the weekends, you don’t have to worry about balancing [work] and school.” — Christian on scheduling
While being a fun and spirited asset to the Papa John’s team, Christian brings this enthusiasm back to Yucca High. As president of Yucca Valley High School’s spirit team, Litty Committee, Christian spreads positivity in and out of the workplace. Christian’s favorite part of being a student worker is being around “coworkers and talking to people all day.”
Sukhjit Singh (Class of 2019)
Senior Sukhjit Singh works part-time for his family-owned business. With roughly twenty hours a week for over two years, Sukhjit stays busy in the workplace. As he explains, with proper prioritizing and time management, having a job as a student can be easy. “I plan [my school work] around my work schedule because we get it a week before,” he said. “I do homework assignments early.”
Juice It Up opened roughly two years ago with both Sukhjit and other students from Yucca Valley High on their original crew. While he didn’t expect to make friends with his fellow student coworkers, his perspective has shifted over the years.
“It’s nice because we have a lot of things in common, and we can help each other with school work.” — Sukhjit on coworkers
Whether saving for a new car, increasing social skills, or paving the way to independence, the Trojans we interviewed have all found being a student worker to be a positive asset in their lives.
