Teens for hire Students juggle school, work

by staffer Brynlee Tucker

Students can spot “Help Wanted” signs anywhere in Kansas City, especially driving down North Oak Trafficway or Antioch Road. Teenagers across the nation manage going to school full-time and having a part-time job after school and on the weekends. With hundreds of companies open to hiring people as young as 14, many students jump on the opportunity to get an early start on their career.

“I like the busy work and the environment of my job,” junior Kate-Lynn McCahon said. “It’s fun and enjoyable and the people I work around are great. I’m not sure I would enjoy it as much if it wasn’t for the people.”

Some teens like their job because they do something they truly enjoy.

“I get to teach children how to swim; and I also get to help people be safe at the pool,” senior Kylie Brooks said.

Just like most things, working has its highs and lows.

“I like it because a lot of my friends work there and I enjoy the movies, but sometimes I don’t because when I’m tired I feel discouraged by rude customers,” senior Khalil Henderson said.

Many teens make the state minimum wage of $12 per hour, sometimes even more.

“I get to make money and talk to a lot of people and make friends, it also gives me something productive to do,” sophomore Sai Weaver-Creager said.

Many students may view jobs as an extremely time-consuming activity. However, many employers are flexible with hours for teens. Some teens work anywhere from four to eight hours per week, while others work up to forty hours per week. It all depends on where they work.

“I work between zero to two days a week on weekends, four hours a shift,” Hy-Vee employee sophomore Alando Matheny-Banuelos said.