Dodgeball triumphs, out-of-control cats, and missing keys highlight the lives of FHC’s students. Although many see working as a time-consuming and laborious task, some see it as an opportunity to make the most out of a unique experience.

FHC has a wide variety of occupations and jobs that students have pursued in their journey beyond the green and white painted walls of their school. Some may scowl at the lifestyle of battling work life and trying to control the endless flow of homework. However, a batch of students have turned their jobs into some of the best parts of their lives, simply by balancing their schedules and making the most of their situations. 

Senior Kyra Thomas works at a local Chick-Fil-A. She finds that the job is not only super inviting but also a really fun time. 

“A couple [of] weeks ago, we had a kickball tournament for all the Chick-Fil-A locations in West Michigan,” Kyra said. “My restaurant lost every single one of [their] games. But at one point I was playing first base and the kicker kicked the ball right to me, and I caught it out of mid-air and I got our first out, and everyone was cheering and I was so excited about it.” 

Customer satisfaction is an essential puzzle piece in the workplace, making sure that almost everyone leaves with a smile on their face is very important. FHC’s students know firsthand that going the extra mile is a must for their jobs. 

Kyra works at a location that believes that customer satisfaction is of paramount importance. 

“We have a good policy and an ideal of being nice to everyone no matter what,” Kyra said. “This includes the customers and the [employees].”

FHC’s students must also find ways to balance the table of life between personal and school. Kyra knows that setting priorities straight is key to success. 

“It’s pretty difficult,” Kyra said. “You have to have good time management [skills] and you have to know your priorities.”   

Luckily, Kyra knows her priorities and manages to both keep good grades and excel at her job. 

“[Balancing work and school] can be [stressful]; sometimes you have to stay up later to get done [with homework] after a shift,” Kyra said. “But it’s really rewarding to be able to say that you can do both well.”  

Senior Sophie Kovachevich works at the local Chowhound and loves her job. She enjoys working with both her coworkers and animals, which helps her to appreciate working in a friendly and fun environment. 

“I really [like] my coworkers and my boss is really nice,” Sophie said. “It’s a really chill and laid-back environment. I used to work at a cafe and that was always rush rush rush, but at [chowhound] it’s pretty slow, which is really nice and the customers are really friendly. And I obviously love working with animals.”

Even some things have shocked and delighted her in her time there, like all the different animals the store serves. 

“People will come in and be like, ‘Oh I’ve never seen a ferret before,’” Sophie said, “[and we work] with chinchillas too. We also have guinea pigs, hamsters, and mice.”

Sophie works around animals that brighten everyone’s day with their soft fur and tail wags. 

Sophie used to struggle with keeping everything straight with all the work hours and schoolwork awaiting her at home. But now, she finds that with easier classes and cutting down on some stressful hours, she manages to find the balance in her life.

A good working environment is essential to the life skills that working a job can teach you, and sometimes these skills are just as important as the ones taught in public schools. Each job also has its own unique skills and demands for their employees. 

Senior Kaylin Scheuneman works at Top This, a frozen yogurt shop on Cascade Road, and she finds herself in need of being versatile with the many jobs she does. Kaylin does almost every job at the store: from doing the toppings to washing the dishes, she knows what to do when she needs to. 

Kaylin also knows that working opens up a path to making new friends along the way, but also allows her to be around her already existing friends.  

 “I work with a ton of my friends,” Kaylin said, “so every time I work I’m guaranteed to work with someone I know.”

Kaylin loves to see the kids that come in with their parents to pick out their flavors of sweet frozen yogurt. 

With previous struggles still in the back of her mind, Kaylin has found that senior year has been much more forgiving and that she can get most of her schoolwork done in school instead of after her shift. 

“Except for one class, the rest has been pretty chill,” Kaylin said, “and I get the majority of my work done in school, which is nice.”

Many students at FHC do have jobs to add to their school and personal life, but with a good work environment, learning life skills, and good time management, some students may find that work is nothing to be afraid of. It can even be a bit fun at some points.

“We have a cat named Suki, she’s sweet but sometimes she goes outside and we can’t find her,” Sophie said. “[One time,] I [saw] Suki sprinting in and she has a mouse in her mouth. So I [called] my assistant manager over and I [started] asking him what [to] do with this mouse. And then the mouse jumps up and [it sprints] around the store. It was just so crazy but we finally got the mouse and Suki under control.”