By Jeff Herold
At Ponte Vedra high school, many students are trying to balance school with part-time jobs, and it’s definitely not easy.
Take John Yu, for example. A junior at Ponte Vedra and works long shifts at Your Pie pizza. ” I work 3-4 days per week 5-hour shifts, Since I work long hours, I don’t really have time to do my homework,” he says. This makes it hard for him to keep up in school, especially when he’s exhausted.
Then there’s George Smith, also a junior who works at Pusser’s. He works about 2 to 4 days a week working 5 to 6 hours a shift. “Working at a restaurant makes me learn to manage my time better,” he explains, “but sometimes it’s really hard to balance everything.”
Luke Tighe, another junior who works 3-5 days per week, 3-5 hours a day, feels the same way. “It can make it harder for me to get my homework done after a tiring shift.” He shares. “It’s tough to focus when all you want to do is relax after a long day at work and school.”
“For me, it doesn’t really affect my schoolwork because I can usually plan around it.”
Kasey Kovacs (11)
On the other hand, senior Netra Veng only works on weekends, which makes it easier for him, “It doesn’t affect my school performance as much, but if I have a lot of work on the weekends, it can be challenging,” he admits.
Eden Thomashunis, also in 11th grade, works as a hostess at Aqua Grill. She puts in 4 to 6 hours a day, 4 days a week. “Sometimes I work really late, and it makes me super tired the next day,” she says. “The main issue is that I don’t have enough time to study and finish my homework.”
Kasey Kovacs, another junior, works 2 to 3 days a week 3-5 hours a day at Valley Smoke. “For me, it doesn’t really affect my schoolwork because I can usually plan around it,” he says. But he still struggles with tiredness when he works on weekdays.
Teachers and counselors at Ponte Vedra know that juggling work and school can be tough. They encourage students to find a balance and prioritize their studies while gaining valuable life experience. Many local businesses are flexible with hours, which helps.
As of 2023 about 250,000 more teens ages 16-19 are working now more then ever before the pandemic. From marketplace.org. Minors are now permitted to work before 6:30am and after 11pm. So long as school is not scheduled the next day. From Rubinfortunato.com
As the school year rolls on, students like John, George, Luke, Netra, Eden, and Kasey keep figuring it all out. For many, part-time jobs are an important step toward adulthood, teaching them lessons that go beyond the classroom. Balancing work and school is hard, but these students are showing that they can handle it, shaping their futures along the way.
Pictured: Emmett Hoffmann (11) working the drive thru at Panera
