There are plenty of reasons why a student would want a job. For example, they might need a little extra money, like for lunch. Photo by: Janessa Salazar

By: Eric Burch

There is a saying that “money makes the world go ‘round.”’ While one could agree or disagree with that, it would be safe to say that the easiest way to get money is to work for it. Employers in Plymouth will hire teens because they need some extra cash.

When one turns sixteen years old, he/she is eligible for quite a few jobs around here. There are students that work at fast food restaurants, but there are also those who work at retail. Senior Mariah Tepper, who works at Taco Bell, said that she has her job not only because she wants to, but also because she has to. “It’s a little of both. I got my job in the first place because I wanted my own money, but going into my senior year I got a car and what not, so now it’s a matter of having to.” She says that her job is unique because “A lot of students at PHS actually work there. But we generally work with the same people, so we’re like a little family.” Junior Leticia Torres agreed that her job is unique, but for different reasons. She works at Jaime’s Grocery, where people come in and speak both Spanish and English. “Something that is unique about my job is getting to speak different languages,” she stated. On the other hand, some students don’t believe their job is unique, like senior Stephanie Boyle said “there isn’t anything unique about my job. I’m a hostess at the Plymouth Hacienda.”

When one has a job, there are ups and there are downs. Freshman John Lara said that his favorite thing about his job at Mooney’s is that he gets to make people smile. Sophomore Gabe Bastardo works at KFC and said that the customers are very special to him. “The older generation is the most interesting and compelling.” Senior Denise Altheide works at Wendy’s and said that her favorite part about working there is “my co-workers. They are like my second family, and they can cheer me up when I’m down.” Like Tepper, junior Shayla Beagle also works at Taco Bell. One of her favorite things about her job she said was “Coming into work with a positive attitude feels good because the people around you exert that energy also and make it fun to work. I find that I work harder at work than I do at school so I know that I still have motivation to.” She also said that her least favorite part about her job is that “working at a fast food restaurant can be very stressful because of the customers that come in and can be VERY rude. During our busiest times, it can be frustrating trying to get orders out [quickly] and also helping other people out.” Like Altheide, senior Haley Balkema works at Wendy’s. “What I like least about my job is that sometimes I can feel overstressed. It is hard to juggle work and school,” she said.

While at their place of employment, from left Eric Burch, Reneh Gambrel, Shayla Beagle, and Austin Epley enjoy their time together. The four of them are nicknamed the “dream team,” at Taco Bell, where they work. Photo contributed by: Eric Burch

While these students currently have jobs, having a dream job is important because one needs to have goals. A dream job can be a goal. Senior Kevin Bachman, who also works at Taco Bell, said that he wants to go into the military. He said he wants to become a pilot or a drone pilot. “I want to be able to serve my country, so why not have fun while doing it?” Altheide said that she wants “to be an ASL (American Sign Language) Interpreter.” She went on to say, “I grew up around ASL, so I already kind of know some sign language, and I understand how hard life can be when you’re deaf-blind or deaf, so even if I could make life just a little bit easier, it would be awesome.” Beagle said that her “dream job is hopefully to take on the profession of an art therapist. I love helping people and I also love art so combining the two sounds like a dream job to me.” She said that she feels that she can use her obstacles that she has had in her past to her advantage with her job. “The art part of the profession interests me since I enjoy doing art and releasing my stress into it.”

Just in case things do not work out, it is always safe to have a back up plan. Sophomore Lauren Wiegand works at Lifeplex. She wants to be a mechanical engineer when she grows up, however if things just don’t work out for her, she said that she would like to have a “minor in Aerospace engineer, and attend Washington University in St. Louis.” While Wiegand certainly has things sorted out for herself, senior Anna Piazza takes a different approach. She said she wants to help people figure out what they need to do. She called this a sort of “life coach.” She said that everyone could use a life coach eventually. She is going to college to try to figure out what she wants to major in, and she said that if it doesn’t work out, “I might do missions or be a counselor or elementary school teacher, I don’t really know but I’m open for God to lead me somewhere.”