By Jazmine Houston
As the economy gets worse, students start to help out their parents and get jobs. You can not depend on your parents forever. Some households need an extra hand to help with bills and other finances, even if it is the simplest thing like paying for gas in a car. Having a job at a young age gives students learning experiences for what is to come in adulthood. Senior Natallie Doram agrees.
“We all have to learn independence sometimes; we can not always depend on someone. You are getting a ‘feel’ of what it is like when you are older and more independent,” said Doram.
Kalamazoo Public Schools are also starting to help with job searches. Schools offer job opportunities and work preparation classes. For example, Loy Norrix offers an EFE called business finances. Doram said she got her job through her EFE business class where she found out about Cooperative Education (co-op).The cooperative education program offers students the opportunity to earn credit towards graduation while receiving wages for a job related to the EFE course being taken. This program gives students work experience and responsibilities as if they were an adult.
Several parents only have money to buy the necessary things that students need. Parents do not always have extra money for things that students want, which is another reason why young teens get jobs.
“I just wanted money and I’m saving for a car,” said junior Jovaughn Carver as he explained why he got a job.
Most seniors get jobs to help out with graduation expenses and additional things such as yearbooks, prom, college application fees, and senior pictures. Senior year is not cheap and neither is college. According to the College Board, in state students spend an estimate of about seven thousand dollars a year for tuition and fees not including room and board. Out of state students spend about 11 thousand dollars. Students are finally realizing that.
“I realized college is not going to pay for itself, I had to start saving up,” said Doram.
The recession has not only affected adults and their work settings, but it has also affected teenagers working to find and keep their jobs.
