Minimum wage

Janelle McDowell, Reporter

 

Whereas most students work in chain restaurants, movie theaters, or babysit, U-High students are unique in their ability to work in places like Edible Arrangements, Artful Designs, and OSF St. Joseph Medical Center.

Senior Lauren Black works at Edible Arrangements in Bloomington.

“I started looking for a job about six months ago, it definitely took me a while to find one,” Black said.

Finding a job can be tough and take a long time, but junior KC DeCremer was lucky enough to get a job at Artful Designs quickly.

“I started looking for a job around the beginning of May last year and managed to get one at the end of May,” DeCremer said.

Some students are able to work in the summer and during the school year, but others struggle to keep up with homework while working.

“I used to work 20 hours a week and now I work 15,” senior Noah Schofield said. “I worked 20 for a while but it really affected my schoolwork.”

Schofield works at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center as an environmental service worker. He hopes to become an EMT and a firefighter.

“I see people coming in needing a lot of help, whether it’s with a broken bone or an illness, and it’s cool to see them get help,” Schofield said.

Unlike Schofield, Black and DeCremer want to work in different career fields than their current jobs.

DeCremer even works at Artful Designs without any experience in the art field.

“I didn’t have any experience with painting or doing pottery,” DeCremer said. “But now I could probably do something.”

Although some days are overwhelming, DeCremer enjoys her job, managers, and coworkers. Similarly, Schofield enjoys work and it even turns his day around. He also recommended having a job to all of his classmates.

“I’ve learned a lot more from work than I have from school,” Schofield explained. “I’ve learned more of how to deal with the real world, outside of an education setting.”

While working provides hands-on experience, school is important especially in job interviews.

“During my interview, my manager really liked that I went to U-High,” Black said. “I think it’s because U-High is a great school and everybody knows that.”