Students in the Workforce

Getting a job for the first time is an act of independence and a step into the working world. Deciding to work as a student can be scary due to the hardships of balancing school work and a job. Some students at Lotus who are experiencing the working world give insight and tips about how to balance school work and a job. Here are what we got from some juniors and seniors at Lotus.

Nahom Sisay

Nahom Sisay is a junior and the captain of the basketball and soccer team at Lotus. He is also part of the working class after school ends. Outside of school, he has a job at working at a sneaker store. At his job, Nahom has the responsibility as a customer attendant and this basically means that he helps customers with their questions and needs about sneakers. He started working there in February 2021. When asked about how he gets his homework done,  he stated, “Sometimes it’s hard but I usually try to do my homework during my break.” Nahom also gave the students looking to get a job a tip. He said, “Definitely don’t try to push your school away. Your main focus should be school, and that is what I messed up on last year when I got a job.”  Nahom also stated that students must always try to balance school work and their jobs even though it is not easy.

Kimberly Aguilera Baez

Kimberly is a senior at Lotus, and also part of the workforce. She works at a trampoline park as a cashier. She started working at this job in May of 2022. What pushed Kimberly to get this job was to help with her college expenses. When she was asked about how she keeps a balance between her school work and job, she said, “Balancing school and work is hard and it’s hard even though I have had a job for almost half a year. I think that the best thing to do is to dedicate your time to one of them, and for me I think that students should dedicate their time to school work.” 

Another piece of advice Kimberly gave to students is that “I recommend getting a job at the mall because their hours are flexible, and you will get time to do your school work.” Kimberly also recommended the app Indeed which can help students find first time jobs.

Meira Abdalla

Meira is a junior at Lotus. Meira works as a cashier at Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). Meira started working at KFC in April 2022. What inspired him to get his job was his friends, and he also needed money.  When asked about how he completes his school work, he said, “ I do my school at my job when the time slows down.”  Meira also stated that students who are getting their first job should get a flexible schedule.

One last piece of advice he left for students looking to get a first time job is that, “ Try to find some balance between your school and your job, and sometimes it helps to write down your schedule. Also focus on yourself and make sure you are okay.”

Getting a job while also having loads of school work is definitely not easy and can take time to get accustomed too. Balancing both may be hard, but it is surely not impossible! Focusing on school should always be the top priority as a student. Make sure you are checking in with yourself at all times, don’t overwork yourself at a young age, you will end up getting a job sooner or later, but school only comes once!