High school is the perfect time to gain work experience and get some extra cash with a part-time job, and our Crusaders have been working hard to bring home the bacon.

Most students who have a job outside of school are seniors and juniors, with just a slim amount of sophomores. A restaurant is the most popular part-time job for a high school student, both at St. Dominic and nationally. Out of 76 employed students here at school, 37% worked at a restaurant, about 11% worked at a retail store and 8% lifeguard at a pool. However, many of our students went against the grain and went out of their comfort zone. Some students work at a nursing home, after-school care, country club and even a greenhouse!

Pool

A common summer job is working as a lifeguard at a local pool. You first have to get your lifeguard certification, but after that, you can get a steady job making a few extra bucks for the summer. When you do your job and put in the work, a world of opportunities can be opened for you, just like it did for junior Machaela Byrne.

After working at Monticello Club Pool for two years, she was recently promoted to a manager status. She works for about 50 hours a week during the summer, and is responsible for making the schedule and taking care of her employees.

“I have been given the opportunity as manager at the young age of 16, with the responsibility of making a schedule with no official staff. Although the hours are definitely a lot, I have really enjoyed it,” Byrne said.

Restaurant

One of the most popular high school jobs is at a restaurant, fast food or otherwise. Junior Clayton Davis works at the Walnut Grill Highway K. He runs food to people and has really developed his people skills.

It is often not an extremely hectic environment at Walnut Grill, though. Senior Christian Giarla works at McDonald’s, and has often experienced the chaos of working fast food.

“Sometimes work can get a little crazy, but we always find a way to deal with it. The chaos is worth the extra cash,” Giarla said.

Junior Lexi Bross loves her job at Texas Roadhouse, and she is perfect for her role as a hostess.

“It’s a really fun and upbeat environment, and I love my coworkers,” Bross said.

After-School Care

If you are very involved in your youth group or parish, an easy option for work is to help out at your parish school after-care. Junior Cadence Bell works with preschoolers at Sacred Heart’s after-school care, playing with and watching over the kids and then making sure they get home to their parents safe.

“When trying to work with three and four year olds, there are of course going to be temper tantrums and things of the sort, but it’s pretty easy to handle. Working here has definitely helped strengthen my patience, and I’ve also gotten better at multitasking,” Bell said.

Working not only helps you gain some life skills and a paycheck, but also some very interesting stories. At Sacred Heart, a preschooler didn’t know who the Wiggles were (such a sad childhood), and Bell and her coworkers jammed out to the Wiggles with the kids. At St. Joe’s after-care, junior Lauren Reddy once had to separate two preschoolers in a fist-fight and keep them apart before their parents came.

Parent’s Business

When your parents own their own business, finding a job can be pretty cut and dry. Junior Liv Knobbe works at her parents’ garden supply store, El Mel Inc. She’s learned a lot about customer service and dealing with all different types of people. Even with a part-time job, our parents’ main focus is still our education instead of labor.

“Balancing work and school is really easy while working with my parents, because school usually comes first,” Knobbe said.

Getting a job in high school can be a great extracurricular, and our students are crushing it at work. Finding a job can be super easy—just go to the store that’s hiring and fill out an application, and then you too could be making bank with our fellow Crusaders!