Summer or winter, rain or shine, homework or no homework, senior Lauren Frank reports for duty at the South Austin YMCA swimming pool just as she typically does every day after school.
Sitting elevated on the platform, she forgets about the school work that awaits in the back of her car as she looks left and right continuously, gazing at every square inch of the water. The fact that it only takes a split second to miss someone drowning forces Frank to take her job very seriously.
Frank is a lifeguard in Austin for the YMCA and continuously works with adults and kids, keeping families alive and safe at the swimming pool. Frank has been a lifeguard for five months and hopes to pursue life guarding all throughout college.
“A lifeguard must be fearless, bold and caring because it is going to take a lot more than swim lessons to be a hero,” Frank said.
Although it can be a tedious process, Frank has to stay committed.
Prior to her first job, Frank had to obtain life guarding, CPR and first-aid certifications, which was included in her 35-hour class, she took. The class costs $250 and calls for hours of non-stop swimming and studying.
“I remember I put down all my school work just to study for my lifeguard certification which definitely tore me away from my school priorities,” Frank said.
For Frank, working is an option to help pay for her gas and other personal expenses. Working is a great way to get real world experience and to make money during free time.
“I wanted a job because I wanted to make money and have something to do with my time over summer and throughout the school year,” Frank said.
Although Frank juggles school and work, she enjoys working as a lifeguard, saving lives.
“I enjoy working as a lifeguard because I get to interact with friendly adults and children,” Frank said.
Co-worker, senior Charles Asquith is also a lifeguard at the South Austin YMCA. Asquith rushes to his car to beat the after school traffic just to make it to work on time.
Asquith doesn’t have much of a choice when it comes to having a job. He pays for a car, gas, insurance and other personal desires.
“I need a job because I have to pay for my own gas, along with paying for half of my car,” Asquith said.
Handling school and work is definitely not an easy task according to Asquith.
\Getting home past 10 p.m. on a school night, exhausted from work with stacks of homework waiting to be completed can be stressful and impossible.
“School and work is stressful because there are only so many hours in one day and another responsibility like homework is another load on top of that,” Asquith said.
At the YMCA, working early and late hours into the night is mandatory. Staying after closing hours to sweep, cover and clean the pool results in Asquith arriving late to his house and to get started on homework.
Senior Tiffany Gore demanded a last period off just so she can get work hours and get home at a decent time to work on homework and college applications.
Gore is a barista at Starbucks and makes above minimum wage to make drinks and serve pastries. Working at Starbucks requires punctuality and working a great deal of hours, hours that Gore doesn’t have time to waste on homework.
“Before I had an off period, I was dealing with mounds of stress and living off less than six hours of sleep, now that I finally have an off period, I am able to maintain school and work,” Gore said.
Senior Christian Haddad manages to pull of the impossible, working not one but two part-time jobs. Haddad works part-time at H-E-B and part-time at GameStop.
Apart from working, Haddad is also affiliated with The Starlight Theatre Company. He is a senior director and also apart of many show acts. Haddad barely has time to do homework because of his busy schedule.
“I am extremely stressed about handling two part-times jobs and theatre. Since I only have time to work at nights on weekdays, I rehearse until 6:30 p.m. and go to work at 7 p.m., work until midnight and go straight to bed to get up at 6 a.m. for show choir,” Haddad said.