Working students overcome pandemic challenges

During this pandemic while some students have picked up different hobbies or joined clubs, surprisingly one of the most common things picked up by students are part time jobs. On top of online school and the pandemic, students are willingly working well. These jobs vary from babysitting, housekeeping, and working in fast food. The main reason these students want the jobs? The answer is money.

“I am working because I need the money to start saving up for college since I am graduating this year,” said senior Carolina Abdalla.

Abdalla works at a smoothie place called Blenzers. She makes about $200 every two weeks since she only works on the weekends.

Due to the fact that online school takes less time than in-person school would, students are able to find a schedule that works for them to find their balance. Some students work only weekends to keep school life and work life completely separated.

Although schoolwork is one concerning problem, the possibility of being infected with the coronavirus is another. Workplaces have changed their rules and enforced more precautions to protect their workers. For example, wearing masks is mandatory. Still, it is natural that the students would be worried about catching the virus or worse, bringing it home to their loved ones.

“I have to be much more careful now and work less because there’s other people in the environment I work in and you don’t know if they have ever been exposed to COVID,” said junior Amaya Davis, who works in housekeeping.

Junior Elly Vongnarith who works at McDonalds is not as worried as Davis, because she believes that her workplace is going through the right steps in avoiding infection. 

“Because of the pandemic we’ve only been doing drive-thru. We also have to wear the masks McDonalds provides for us. Also for payment we try not to touch any of the cards, instead we hand out the card reader for our customers to insert themselves,” said Vongnarith.

These students– now having their lives filled with regular temperature checks, constantly washing hands and disinfectant– are working twice as hard to meet their goals.