Twenty-five percent of the nation’s high school students 16 and older work. Atlantic High School has similar stats. Many high schoolers around AHS have jobs ranging from easy work, to back-breaking work and from inside work, to outside work. Students have jobs for numerous reasons; some work because they need the money to buy things they want, and others work to help pay for a car or college.
Freshman Nathaneal Lensch has a job at Brymons Interior in Atlantic.  At his job he assembles, delivers, and moves furniture. Lensch said, “I got the job because they needed help, I volunteered to help them and then got hired without an interview or application.”  His least favorite thing about the job is the strange hours. He is sometimes called in randomly whenever they need his help. Nathaneal’s favorite part about working there is the people he works with.

Sophomore Emma Joyce is a slide attendant at the Nishna Valley Family YMCA. Joyce oversees the slide and makes sure that it is safe for the kids to go down. She said, “It’s very boring and it’s sometimes hard not to fall asleep because you just sit there.” Joyce said she gets paid $7.25 an hour and she uses the money to buy stuff that she wants.

Junior Braden Bean mows lawns and scoops snow for Templemman’s Lawn Care. He likes his job because he gets $15 per hour and it keeps him off his butt. “It’s hard back breaking work,” Bean said. Bean’s favorite memory was working with senior Nathan Gifford.

Atlantic Hy-Vee manager Jon Johnson and Templeman’s Lawn Care owner Tim Templeman hire many high schoolers around Atlantic.  Both Johnson and Templeman said they love working with and hiring high schoolers.  Templeman said when he is looking to hire a high schooler he looks for their “willingness” to work.  Johnson said, “I love to take a young mind and fold it into a work ethic [to] work in the grocery store and have fun.”

Having a job in high school offers a wide perspective on life and boosts self esteem.  There are many other benefits of having a job in high school.  By having that extra money made in high school, it preps students for college or any other plans after high school.