Juniors and seniors, blessed with the freedom of driving, are cursed with the responsibility of having and maintaining a job in the midst of the workload from school and clubs. Most students are excited to finally make money but neglect to think about the consequences of long hours. 

Senior Troy Gafford explained that his schedule is packed to the brim with his job at Cafe Zupas, working longer hours at the restaurant than at school. 

“Working on top of school and sports is pretty difficult,” Gafford said. “The few hours I have in between, I’m either completing homework or working on some stuff for my extra curricular activities, like FCA or FBLA.”

Ridge junior, Mary Auchana, works in the retail industry and notes her lack of sleep due to her educational and social life outside of shifts.

“As an honors student taking college classes, I strive to do my best when it comes to assignments and homework,” Auchana said. “It’s exceptionally hard to balance my school work along with my actual job.”

High schoolers also forget their physiological well being when it comes to picking up shifts. Ben Beachy, a junior at MRHS, quit his job after struggling with his mental health. 

“I tried to change my hours. I tried to negotiate with management, but they failed to understand that I was a student – a student who wants to prioritize school work and my own sanity,” Beachy said. “They disregarded my requests and continued to schedule me. I stood up for myself and quit.” 

As high schoolers, we are constantly bombarded with our parents, future colleges, and our own personal goals to achieve greatness. The skill set of juggling school, clubs, sports, social lives, and a job is impressive and valued in society, though is incredibly difficult.

If you are currently employed and your schedule is filled to the brim with activities, evaluate your mental health. An extracurricular, time on social media, or maybe even tonight’s shift, might have to give.