BY JULIA SAXTON

Senior Gabi Proffitt works at the National Exemplar located on the Mariemont square. She started working there, following in her mother’s footsteps, as a hostess.

“Sometimes, I get no time to sleep in or relax,” she states. “It can be really stressful and inconvenient.”

As with any job, she admits that there are perks.

“It’s nice having the money and I also love who I work with.”

For most students, the overarching goal of high school is to get good grades, graduate, make it through college, and then settle down with a good paying job. However, some MHS students are switching up the order. Having a part time job in high school can be hectic, hard to manage, and sometimes, just plain unnecessary. However, for some, having a part time job in high school can prove to have some benefits.

Although stressful, Proffitt shares, “I think working is a good thing, it gets you a jump start into the real world. Once you learn to balance everything, it’s fine.”

For most businesses, one must be at least 16 years old to work. Some summer jobs are offered to 15 year olds, but most businesses are required to only hire kids 16 and up. Minors are almost always paid minimum wage, at least when they are starting out. Since the new year hit, minimum wage has gone up 30 cents and is currently at $7.80 an hour.

Junior Emily Jackson is having a completely different experience from Proffitt. She works at the Montgomery Inn Boathouse through family connections.

When asked why she decided to get the job, she replied, “I wanted the extra income and I was bored after school most days. I also thought it might be fun to have that kind of responsibility.”

Jackson reports that she has had no problem balancing work and school.

“It’s a lot easier that I thought it would be,” she states.

Jackson agrees with Proffitt in thinking that having a job in high school can help prepare students for life beyond high school.

“I do think it is a good idea for students to have jobs in high school because after you leave high school you probably will go to college and won’t have any time at all to hold a job except in the summer time,” she states.

Jackson also thinks learning how to budget money and time is an important skill that a part time job can teach.

“You need those skills for college and later on in life. So if you can get them early, you will be better set for the future,” she says.

MHS counselor Mrs. Leszczuk has her own opinions on students working in high school.

“I feel like it’s a good experience for kids,” Leszczuk states. “It gives kids a stronger sense of responsibility.”

Leszczuk finds no real problem with high school students having a part-time job. However, she does state that time management can get difficult, but that can be handled.

Unfortunately, Leszczuk reveals that having a job in high school doesn’t catch the eye of many colleges.

“It can help provide a story for an essay,” she says. “But it really doesn’t do much after that.”