Moeller Students Take on the Working World

A.J. Adkins and Donovan Duffy making pizza’s at Joe’s Pizza Napoli

photo by Kevin Duffy

If you were to ask a high school senior to reflect on their life the past four years, chances are they would not express that their countless hours in the workplace were the highlights of their high school careers.  Other students would not have to think about those times as some seniors in high school have yet clock in at a workplace. Many students wake to the reality that they will spend most of their life working for a paycheck. In this article we explore the different experiences in the workplace Moeller seniors have had.  

To understand some students experiences we should break down the categories for why students work. Students work for many different reasons. Among the most common are: saving up for car/college, working under a parent, for spending money, gaining experience, or to pay for expenses. 

In a survey conducted for this article, 70 students were polled regarding their work life, and 62% of the students have or had a job. Though the sample size is small, this supports the assumption that majority of Moeller students have jobs. Some of the jobs that Moeller students work include: restaurants, retail stores, landscaping, mowing lawns, car technicians, and various jobs at Kings Island.  

As someone who has worked over 4 different jobs and have put in considerable hours during the weekdays, it can be challenging to keep up with the work schedule during school. Many students find it challenging to find time to work with their busy school schedules. Some students have to be at school or six days a week for their sports and their free time is dedicated to academics. From the survey, 60% of students do not work during their sports season but another 25% do. There are also the students that have such a rigorous academic schedules that working a job would affect their grades.  Regardless of these students will to work, it would be extremely difficult to maintain their successes while working a job.

Working a job in high school can have many benefits. Working experience is extremely helpful when applying and entering college. While working in a fast food restaurant may not be beneficial to a student’s career later in life, it gives the students a taste of a real-world working environment. 

Fellow co-worker at Pizza Napoli, senior AJ Adkins, says that, “Working has helped me learn to manage my time better and taught me how to deal with various types of people.” AJ has learned valuable skills and making money by working his job at Pizza Napoli. 

Moeller senior Jimmy George is a Ride Supervisor at Flight of Fear in Kings Island. He says that, “I am planning on becoming a roller coaster designer/architect, so what better environment to be in than hands on with the coasters, operating the ride, and managing the people working it.” 

Students that do not work in high school may not receive this type of valuable experience. Jimmy sacrifices many hours during the summer to work the job at Kings Island. By doing this, he is giving himself the best advantage possible for his college endeavors and overall career. My own work experiences have put into perspective how blessed I and other Moeller students are to go to Moeller which gives us a greater advantage in college and in the workplace later in life.