Anticipating. Waiting for 2:50 pm. The bell rings. Students shuffle, eager to go home. However, some students have to go to their jobs, many of them for very different reasons. One student, sophomore Audrey Osborne, works at Tried & True Alehouse. She started working there in February of 2023.
“I wanted to work at Tried and True because we have been regulars there for so long, so it’s what I know,” Osborne said.
At Tried & True, Osborne is a hostess & busser.
“A typical day at work is I clock in, check in all of the servers, make sure the sections are right for the servers, then I seat people,” Osborne said.
While working at Tried & True, Osborne has learned a lot about her job and connected with her coworkers and community.
“You’re not supposed to enjoy working,” Osborne said. “If you go in expecting to enjoy working, then you will not get very far. The unique thing about my job is the relationship that all of the employees have with not only each other, but also our regulars and CG. Tried and True is Center Grove’s home turf.”
One of the things unique about Tried & True is the drink specials board, where Osborne has developed a reputation at work for her artistic ability.
“I love to draw on the drinks specials board because it draws more attention,” Osborne said. “People know me for it. My managers ask me to draw something for special days.”
Meanwhile, junior Jonathan Turner has worked at the local Walmart since December 2022.
“I am working to have money and to learn how to be a responsible adult,” Turner said. “It will get me into a routine to pay my bills when I get older.”
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after school, Turner works at Walmart from 4:30 PM to 9 PM. Then, on the weekends, he works from 8 AM to 4 PM. Since he has a tight schedule, there are some obstacles and benefits.
“The cons of being a full time high school student are: I don’t have time to hang out with friends, I can’t sleep in on the weekends and I lose sleep; pros are that I learn how to stay out of trouble, gain teamwork and leadership,” Turner said. “I also get good money and I get to meet other people.”
On a typical work day, he usually helps customers, loads the car with groceries and collects shopping carts, which can be fruitful.
“I like working because it’s extra money in my pocket and something unique about my job is I am basically my own boss,” Turner said.
Although many people have jobs like Turner and Osborne in the food and retail industry, junior Brooke Ault works at the Kumon Learning Center, which is a tutoring center that helps ages 3-18 on math and reading.
“I work at Kumon Learning Center as a grader and assistant,” Ault said. “I decided to start working because I wanted extra money, and Kumon wasn’t a super busy job as it’s only open Mondays and Thursdays. Plus, it’s a job that plays to my skills and interests, as I can use what I’ve learned at school to help kids with their work.”
Ault started working at Kumon last summer.
“Once I was close to getting my driver’s license because that way I couldn’t drive to work and didn’t need a parent to take me there; I can better accommodate work and choir practices as I drive myself, and I wouldn’t be able to do both if I couldn’t drive,” Ault said.
At Kumon, Ault grades classwork and homework.
“I’m a grader at Kumon, meaning I grade classwork and homework, and I help students finish their classwork,” Ault said. “I don’t have a set schedule, but the Kumon I work for is open from 3:30-7:30 p.m. every Monday and Thursday, and I try to be at work as often as possible.”
Ault follows the same tasks every day at Kumon, grading classwork and homework to helping students who need help.
“On a typical work day at Kumon, I usually start grading classwork for about an hour or two, and then switch out with someone else and start grading homework,” Ault said. “Any time I’m grading homework, I check if any kid has their hand raised, and I’ll walk over and answer their question. Sometimes I’ll be assigned to help the younger kids with their work for a bit as they need more direct guidance and help with their assignments. The order all depends on the day, but I do those same tasks everyday at work.”
Since Ault works on Mondays and Thursdays, it’s a different challenge compared to Osborne and Turner, but she does also face some struggles as well.
“I’d say the pros are getting extra money to go out and buy things yourself, learning how to manage money and a bank account, meeting new people, and getting some job experience that you can put on a resume after high school,” Ault said. “The cons are definitely balancing work with my extracurriculars and homework, but as long as you are clear and honest with everyone about what you need and what your schedule is, then it isn’t much of an issue.”
Despite the fact that working can be a struggle, it can teach people about things more than just about money.
“I love working. I have a really great job, nice boss, and nice colleagues,” Ault said. “My job is unique too, in that I get to help kids learn, which is something I like to do and it plays to my strengths, which is yet another thing I love about my job.”
