As the 2021-2022 school year comes to a close, the summer is filled with camps, travel, and for some, summer jobs! Many students have summer jobs to keep them busy and learn new life skills. Such Jobs range from camp counseling to babysitting.
Xavier Best ‘25 works as a counselor at Pedal Paddle Fish and Swim in Minneapolis. He works alongside 2 other counselors to watch and guide a group of roughly 20 kids bike, swim in the lakes, kayak, and play. He recalls his experience working there as, “pretty lit!”
Sally Countryman ‘23 will be working at Nautical Bowls in Edina this upcoming year, her first job in customer service, which she’s excited to begin.. She says that, “[previously] I’ve been a lacrosse coach and babysat.” Working with kids helped her to learn to adapt her mindset to face new challenges while remaining positive. Countryman believes that the summer is a great time to work because of the open time and lowered stress levels. She says “it’s more manageable to have a summer job, and it can help prepare you for after highschool…“it’s hopefully not as much to stress about as it would be during the school year.”
Another Student, Haya Fine ‘22 also takes on new experiences through her summer jobs. In 2020 she worked a Bredsmith in Edina and carried on with the job for another year and a half and loved it. Despite her love for her job, Fine left to better manage school. Additionally last year she worked as a counselor at Camp Olami, a jewish day camp at the Jewish Community Center in Golden Valley. She says “Some of the kids have never been to a real school before, so that was a challenge”, However she helped these kids learn about sportsmanship and etiquette. Additionally, she learned how to mediate tensions between young children. Fine recommends a summer job to other people 100%!
Overall, Blake students have learned valuable life skills to prepare them for their futures. students encourage others with free time to take part in one if not simply due to boredom, necessary preparation, or plain curiosity!
