With such busy schedules, it’s amazing high school students can find time for one job. Well, we found three Plymouth area students who not only work, but work multiple jobs. And they do it while keeping their grades up and staying involved with extracurricular activities. Learn their secrets here.
Maggie Degner
Senior, West Lutheran High School
Maggie Degner spends her extra time earning extra money. She holds three jobs, including as a tutor helping second-graders with math and English. She nannies afterward, and works as a receptionist at a hair salon.
“I like staying busy,” Degner says. “It can be a lot at times, but you just have to think about it one step at a time and follow a schedule.”
Degner tutors once a week after school, which still leaves time to work at the salon in the evening. Some nights she won’t get home until 9 p.m., and at that point she has to have dinner and start homework.
Even with the busy schedule, she finds time to be on the volleyball and track teams. She’s also part of National Honor Society, is the class treasurer, and helps out with the yearbook and party planning committees.
Working has been a great way for Degner to gain experience and spend time with kids. She’s not sure yet what she wants to do after high school, but she’s hoping her experience prepares her to help people and serve society in a way that makes a difference.
Taylor Rivera
Recent graduate, Robbinsdale Armstrong High School
Taylor Rivera already knows about corporate structure. She’s finishing an internship this month at Target Corp., a job that she got through an internship program at Robbinsdale Armstrong High School.
Rivera, who graduated last spring, works every afternoon in a network-engineering program, where she monitors the Wi-Fi connection and routers at Target stores. She makes sure the stores have an Internet connection and tracks any issues in a spreadsheet. Although she’s not interested in going into the technology field (she plans to major in journalism), Rivera’s hopeful the experience will prepare her for the real world. This fall, she’ll attend North Hennepin Community College and plans to transfer to Arizona State after two years.
In addition to working at Target, Rivera also babysits a few times a week and works weekends as a hostess and server at Nonna Rosa’s Italian Restaurant in Robbinsdale. She also finds time to volunteer and serve in a youth ambassador program.
“I have to stay organized with a calendar,” Rivera says. “And my parents are really great about keeping me focused at home and helping manage my time.”
JJ Anderson
Recent graduate, Robbinsdale Armstrong High School
“I have to support my lifestyle,” JJ Anderson jokes about his jobs. Anderson, like Rivera, graduated from Robbinsdale Armstrong High School last spring. Like Degner, he also holds three jobs. Among those is Anderson’s own photography business, which he started four years ago. He shoots weddings, senior pictures and family photos when time permits.
In addition to photography, Anderson, an avid swimmer, works as a lifeguard at Life Time Fitness. He had been a swimming instructor for five years, and when a lifeguard position became available, it seemed like a great way to make a little extra money doing something he loved.
Anderson also has been working as a janitor at his mother’s business for two years. “I wasn’t planning on having three jobs, but it just kind of happened,” Anderson says.
According to Anderson, working allows him to not have to rely on his parents for money. He is heading to Bethel University this fall, where he will major in chemistry with an eye on going to pharmacy school. He offers this advice for students wondering about having a job: “If people say you aren’t going to have time for a job, know that most employers give flexibility to schedule on weekends or around your school schedule,” Anderson says. “It is definitely manageable.”
