Upper School is filled with many firsts – the first year of upper school, the first day of school, first time driver, and first job. Having a job creates an independent feeling that prepares you for life. Especially in high school, as it enables you to gain life skills at a young age that help you as you grow older.

There is nothing better than making your own money. Junior Brie Brothers started working at 14, which is the legal working age in the United States. Working at Triple T’s Popcorn, Brie has gotten to learn about how to interact with people. Human interaction is often seen throughout customer service jobs.

However, with the good parts of the job, come the bad parts. Sophomore Ayden Beville works at the popular boutique, Y & I. She says the hardest part of her job is managing her time.

Ayden says, “As a student with a job, time management becomes a skill you have to quickly work to perfect. The better you manage your time, the faster you get things done.“

Having a job in high school can also teach you life skills. This also can help you build up a resume. The more jobs you have, the more experience you get.

Junior Chelsea Martinez says, “Working at Terra Mediterranean has helped me work on my communication skills.” Being a good communicator helps you reach success at an early point in life.

In life, the world never stops. That means that you have to learn how to pick up the pace. You can pick up the pace in your school work, your athletic career, and even your workplace. When working at Triple T’s, Brie says that she has to, “Quickly get every order back to the customer.” This can be difficult for someone to do, but it builds strength and endurance to keep going.

Although it is not mandatory to get a job in high school, it teaches you a lot of things that can be really helpful as you grow into an adult. Not only do you make money, but you also gain life skills while making some friends along the way.