Staff Writer
Given the rising cost of college and a desire for their own spending money, many teens hold afterschool jobs. With their already busy class schedules, how do they fit it all in? Are they missing out on things as a result?
Mike Leaver, a 15-year old sophomore at Guilderland High School and parishioner of Christ the King Church in Westmere, has a part-time job at Dunkin' Donuts and works a total of 12 hours per week, including six hours on Sunday. That gives him time to complete his homework and still participate in extracurricular activities.
"I have free periods during the week at school," he told The Evangelist. "It's a total of about three hours each week, so I get most of my homework done during that time, especially on the days I work after school."
Mike plays baseball in the spring and summer. He also participates in the Civil Air Patrol. "I want to go into the Marines after college, and this group offers me an opportunity to participate in organized search-and-rescue operations, and some air and space education," he said.
Mike does not feel that working in any way stops him from doing whatever he wants; nor does it affect his schoolwork.
"I want to go to college, so I study hard," he explained. "Working gives me the freedom to buy what I want or save the money I make. Right now, I'm saving for my first car and hope to have it by next summer. Then I'll start saving for college."
Dave Soscia, another 15-year-old from Christ the King, holds a summer job at the Guilderland YMCA. Because he is so active during the school year, however, he doesn't work when school is in session.
"I am currently in two honors programs at school, in math and chemistry," the Guilderland High sophomore told The Evangelist. "The homework I have each night takes about five hours to do, and I just don't want to sacrifice that for a part-time job."
Dave, who is musically inclined, sings with other teens in a contemporary music group at Sunday Mass each week. Additionally, he is the drummer for a band called the Euphoric Blues. Dave also plays several sports: cross-country in the fall, tennis and baseball in the spring, and basketball in a recreational league in the winter.
"I know that if I was working, I wouldn't be able to play the sports," he said.
His honors classes keep him one year ahead of his grade level, so he figures that by the time he is a senior, he will have a little "breathing room. I'll probably be taking some elective courses and may have some free periods in that last year, so I should have more free time to work during my senior year. I really like working at the Y. It gives me some extra money to buy the things I want, like a new set of drums that I'm saving for right now. But next summer, I have to start saving for college."