For many young adults, high school is the time where they begin to venture into the world of having a job. While jobs allow people to learn the responsibilities of adulting, and of course put some money in their pockets, there is also a vastly stressful side of having to balance both work and school loads. Seniors Olivia DeNofa, and Kaylee Ramsey have been able to experience first hand what it takes to maintain that balance.
DeNofa has found employment at a dentistry office where she enjoys many things about the work environment as she performs her daily tasks.
“I work at Exceptional Dentistry and have worked there for over a year now. I help to organize the daily schedules and sterilize the instruments. Along with this I set up and take down operatory rooms,” says DeNofa. “I love all the people I work with and how much they have been able to teach me.”
For Ramsey, she works at a tanning salon where she has perfected her job as a long time employee and enjoys learning more about sales every shift.
“I work at Bodyheat Tanning and I have been there since March 2023. As a sales associate, I assist customers with memberships and products, maintain the cleanliness of tanning beds, and ensure the smooth operation of the store,” Ramsey says. “My favorite part about my job is learning new sales tactics and meeting new customers.”
One saving grace for DeNofa is that her job allows her to do her school work while on the clock.
DeNofa shares, “Thankfully my job allows me time to focus on my studies while still being employed. Though setting priorities and communication help tremendously.”
This however isn’t the case for Ramsey, but she has set boundaries for herself in order to combat this.
“When balancing my work and school load, I dedicate certain days to catch up on schoolwork and make an effort to prevent stress from impacting my work performance,” Ramsey shares.
Being employed throughout high school has come with some barriers, for DeNofa, this came with an adjustment as she settled into her new schedule.
“Thankfully my schedule is consistent and reliable so the hardest part for me has just been adjusting to the fact that I will always have set days every week that I’m committed to work. Unlike alternative jobs I’m unable to ask someone to pick up a shift or have a flexible schedule so I need to plan ahead,” DeNofa says. “Last year especially was slightly difficult just because I worked right after school and could not stay after class to talk with teachers or retake assignments on certain days. I overcame this by communicating my situation to my teachers and making use of free class time and before school opportunities.”
Ramsey however faced trouble during the late nights at the salon, however learned to communicate for her needs.
“Balancing school and work was very challenging during the late-night store closings, leaving me tired and struggling to complete my homework. Eventually, I learned the importance of communicating with my manager about adjusting my schedule, which allowed me to work earlier shifts and stay on top of my tasks with more energy and focus,” Ramsey says.
Though many adjustments have had to be made, both can confidently say that working in high school will contribute positively to their futures.
DeNofa says, “Working while in high school teaches the lesson of time management and saving money early. My job especially has expanded my perspective on not just working full time, but also introducing me into the medical/dental field.”
Ramsey shares a similar outlook remaining hopeful that having a job has taught her necessary skills to thrive in her adult life.
“Having a job in high school will benefit me in the future by teaching me essential skills like responsibility and time management, which will help me succeed in college and future job opportunities,” Ramsey says.
