The number of teenagers who have some sort of job while in school has dropped from nearly 40 percent in 1990 to just 20 percent today. Bryana Johnson, a Bowie senior, is one of the few students in that small group.

Johnson keeps her grades up, has college in the near future, works two jobs and carves out time for friends and family. She works very hard to pay for college applications/tuition as well as to have some  extra spending money. Balancing her life is difficult but working hard is important to her; she believes that working gives her an advantage.

“Working gives you a new sense of independence and it puts me ahead because a lot of people find their first jobs in college and they won’t know how to save or budget or anything like that and I’ve already started doing that for already two or three years now,” Johnson said.

For Johnson, having money gives her a sense of responsibility, her mom, Annalisa Gonzalez, explains that it enhances her self-reliance.

“Working makes her feel empowered and independent. I believe she has a sense of pride and comfort knowing that she doesn’t have to come to us for all her wants, her job enables her to get all those “extras” on her own,” Gonzales said.

Senior Taylor Beltz, Johnson’s friend, has a lot of respect for Johnson and her decision to work.

“Working builds character. It helps a high schooler learn what it’s going to be like when we get into the real world and how to balance things so we get everything done that we need to,” Beltz said.

Teacher Vicki Vohl recognizes Johnson as a hard worker and believes she has a head start in the career world.

“Having to work is tough but it will teach her invaluable skills as an adult that her non-working peers won’t have. I think Bryana will do well in college because of her good work ethic,” Vohl said.

Johnson explains that working has never been easy, there have been challenges.

“The hardest problem with working is probably getting there, if I had to be honest most of the time I dread going to work but it’s not bad once I am there, it’s hard to just stay motivated and continue to want to work,” Johnson said.

Over the years with all of Johnson’s responsibilities contributing to her hectic schedule she has figured out how to balance her life.

“I have been managing my life and keeping up with a schedule for so long that I couldn’t tell you if it has put a strain on my life, I have been doing it for two years so I got used to it, it’s just the normal, I am sure if I got a new job I would see more strain,” Johnson said.

Having a job can be hard for some people, Johnson advises to keep in mind, that education and your own happiness are always a priority when deciding whether or not to work.

“Unless your job is 100 percent need base obviously you have to make time for it and have to manage but if you can’t and there’s no way around, school always comes first, education is always more important and your job should never take the spot of your own happiness and your own well-being and your own education,” Johnson said.

Collage is an important step in continuing an education, Gonzales clarifies its importance.

“College not only enhances you intellectually and prepares you for success, it teaches independence, self-discipline and keeps you striving for the next chapter in life,” Gonzalez said.

Continuing their education is very crucial to her friends, who also want to go to college, friend and fellow senior, Amy Lopez explains.

“I think college is necessary because you have to get a good education in order for you to get a good paying job in the future,” Lopez said.

Johnson can only see her future including college which makes her work hard in every part of her life.

“College is very important to me because in this day and age everybody is super overqualified and it’s a different thing compared to about 50 years ago when no one went to college but now college is what you need in order to get ahead in life and to gain exposure and experience and jobs and opportunities,” Johnson said.

Bryana wants to go to a major university in Texas and pursue a big career.

“I want to go to A&M and be a marketing manager of a big corporation, preferable fashion, but a job is a job,” Johnson said.

Lopez says that even though Johnson works very hard and is always busy Johnson keeps her social life in balance and makes time for her friends.

“I don’t notice her more tired or different than any of my other friends because some work as well and she knows how to use her free time wisely,” Lopez said

Beltz also agrees that Johnson never lets work interfere with anything else.

“The amount of time she works doesn’t affect her as a person. It sometimes affects how much time we spend with her but we try to visit her at work as much as we can so it doesn’t affect us too much”  Beltz said.

Johnson tries to not let the stress of her demanding activities affect her.

“I don’t notice anything with Bryana compared to our other friends. She is always up beat and never lets anything bother her,” Beltz said.

Students who work are sometimes considered inspirations because they spend their time not always leisuring but working, although this could be true Johnson, believes she is also just an average teenager.

“I don’t think I am an inspiration, I think that it all depends on what you can handle and I am just a calm easy going person and school, in a way, school just comes easy to me, it has never been something I have really had to try hard on and I think that has enabled me to work two jobs,” Johnson said.

Bryana Johnson works very hard in every aspect of her life, enhancing her quality as a person, Gonzalez and many others notice.

“I do see a difference. Bryana doesn’t take things for granted. She isn’t lazy and doesn’t define her happiness by personal possessions. I find Bryana to be grounded and appreciative and I attribute that to her work and school successes,” Gonzales said.