Andrew Walker ’16 gets home at around 12:30 AM from a tiring night of busing tables at Home Run Inn where he works for hours straight. When he finally gets home, he barely has time to finish his homework and is tired the next morning. However, money is a motivator no matter your age. Whether it’s saving up for college or having extra spending money, students at Jones are applying for jobs after school to make this happen.

One major obstacle is finding establishments that hire minors, and in most cases, the most students can make is minimum wage. As a result, some teens are compelled to work more hours per week to make enough money to satisfy their monetary needs/wants. Walker finds that it can be difficult balancing school and his after school job. He comes home between 11:30 PM and 12:00 AM.

Along with working for a little spending money, Walker aims to save some of his earnings for his college fund, which he says is a smart idea because the cost of attending college is increasing.

Serafin Herrera ’16, however, started at minimum wage and was promoted. He now earns $10 and hour. He works at the Chicago Uniform Company, making clothes for police, firemen, security, school, and commercial enterprises. Herrera said that it is fairly easy to balance his school obligations and work duties and that it teaches him time management.

Students often find that working is a necessity in order to earn money to save for college or satisfy immediate needs. However, it can be a struggle searching for a place of work where the hours are flexible and they do not conflict the college prep schedule.