For many juniors in high school, balancing multiple extracurricular activities while working a job can prove difficult and lead to early burnout. However, for junior Keyan Roelfzema, the lessons and experience he gains from his job and sport are priceless and have created a balanced system in his life.
Keyan works at Provision Living, a local retirement home in the Grand Rapids area for seniors who require assisted living conditions. He helps with whatever tasks they need while interacting with local senior citizens.
“My job at the retirement home is really exciting. I get to help people who struggle to live their lives normally,” Keyan said. “I get them food, take their orders, and abide by whatever they need. The one thing I like the most about my job is learning and hearing about the old folks’ personal stories. They have a lot of wisdom, and they always know what to say.”
Especially for athletes, it can be hard to work a job while attempting to manage time effectively and work around practice and game times. However, having a job in high school provides crucial experience and lessons for students before college and applying for professional jobs later in life.
Students should not miss out on learning how dynamics at jobs can work. For Keyan, having a job helps teach important life skills that just cannot be taught or learned outside of the workplace.
“The most important reason to hold a job in high school is that it’ll make things easier down the line,” Keyan said. “It gives you job experience, teaches you how to work hard, and how to balance different aspects of your life.”
Working at a retirement home not only inspires patience for him, as he often has to repeat things to residents who may not process information as quickly, but it also helps foster perseverance.
Keyan’s interactions with the residents of Provision Living help him connect with wise adults, while also helping him gain real-world job experience.
“When I first got my job, I instantly wanted to quit,” Keyan said. “I thought things were too hard and that there was no point in me having a job. If you give it a shot and take time to learn and be familiar with [a job], you will like it. Simply don’t quit.”
Keyan plays baseball for FHC, as well as for multiple travel ball teams throughout the years. For any athlete, the significant amount of time athletics demands can severely clog a player’s schedule. However, the benefits of playing sports cannot be overlooked or underestimated.
Keyan’s experience playing baseball for years has taught him important lessons from all aspects of the game, whether at bat or in the field.
“Baseball has so many lessons that come from it. You’re not going to succeed every time,” Keyan said. “The greatest players get a hit 3/10 times. Having a clear mind and a focus on your goals helps you succeed.”
However, baseball isn’t the only important element of his life. It can be overwhelming to have schoolwork that can take hours of time that many athletes don’t have.
Through years of balancing academics, work, and school, Keyan has figured out the best system for him to stay in control of all the crucial parts of his life. He has achieved a moderate balance of everything in order to not fall behind on the things that matter to him.
“[The best ways to balance all aspects of life],” Keyan said, “are having a schedule, getting work done at school, and studying on days when I cannot [study later]”
With his baseball season starting in less than three weeks, Keyan has changed his schedule to accommodate the time pressures baseball presents. His work is relegated to weekends, and baseball and schoolwork will dominate the school week.
As high school classwork becomes a major time commitment, Keyan has recognized the importance of not falling behind on schoolwork. Throughout all of his extracurricular, Keyan can apply the lessons he’s learned to all aspects of his life and eventually, his career.
“My biggest advice to student-athletes is to stay on top of your work,” Keyan said. “Don’t slack off and try [as] hard in the classroom as hard as you try on the court or field.”
