By Sophia Doan
When I was 7 years old, I had my first lemonade stand. Eager to buy a new puppy puzzle from the dollar store, my brother, my best friend, and I hand squeezed lemons and had my mom help us pop some popcorn. We drew out homemade signs, and suddenly all we had to wait for was our customers.
Since that day, I have had many business ventures. From hot chocolate stands in the winter, to taking people’s trash out for 25 cents, I was willing to try anything to make money. The idea of buying italian sodas and candy on my own was exciting enough to walk around an apartment building begging students to let me grab their trash bags.
As soon as I was legally allowed to apply for a job in California, I applied to a Christmas Tree Farm. Blowing my first paycheck all on Starbucks, I quickly learned the value of my own money. Suddenly when I was at the store, I looked at things I could buy in terms of how many hours I would have to work to afford that.
Having a job in high school can be absolutely crucial for learning responsibility, money management, and life skills. Connecting with coworkers from different backgrounds and age groups can help put your life into perspective. Talking to your older coworker about their upcoming rent due can be motivating to save money. When you are at school, if you pull out your phone and open social media, you could get sent to the office or have your phone taken away. However, when you are at your paying job and suddenly you’re on Instagram, you’re fired. Self control and responsibility are fostered through a high school job. Gaining valuable work experience at an age where you’re more financially stable helps put you in a position to be a good employee when it matters.
Although sports and other school activities can often make students too busy for a job, the benefits of gaining experience and perspective make it so worth it for the students who can get one.