‘Summer living’ needs a job.

Google® Is Not Everything is a monthly column authored by high school students. The title of the column emphasizes that education is more than just googling a topic. Google® is a registered trademark.
This month’s guest columnist is Ghenesis Jhay Balaan, a Junior at Maui High School attending its Culinary and Health CTE Pathway. He is a two year member of Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) and has served as its Council Treasurer in 2017–2018. Ghenesis hopes to become a respiratory therapist in the future. He is the eldest son of Benjamin V. Ballesteros Jr. and Jerameelyn B. Ballesteros.

Ghenesis Jhay Balaan | Maui High School

It’s the season all teenagers have been waiting for—Summer! A well deserved time of relaxation from the stressful days at school. Going on vacation with family, heading out to the beach, or simply just getting together with friends are some plans many might make for this season to be an enjoyable one. For those who are looking to get ahead, summer provides an excellent array of job opportunities for all teens. Many teenagers want the freedom to do whatever they want but lack the funds to pay for it. A summer job gives teens a chance to earn their own money and allows them to learn important life-skills training along the way.

Romelyn Tabangcura interns at Maui Lani Physicians and Surgeons

Romelyn Tabangcura is a Junior at Maui High School who aspires for a career in the healthcare field. As the first step to finding out if the medical field is right for her, she decided to apply for an internship at Maui Lani Physicians and Surgeons. Romelyn enjoys interacting with various members of the community she encounters at her work. She highly encourages other teenagers to get a summer job if they do not have any summer vacation plans. Having a summer job provides many opportunities to help aid in self improvement such as giving an individual a glimpse of the real world. However, jobs have advantages and disadvantages, according to Romelyn. “Some advantages of working as a teen during the summer is that it gives you something to do so you won’t be bored, you get to meet new people and have extra pocket money. Some disadvantages of working as a teen during the summer is not being able to spend as much time with family and friends as well as waking up very early in the morning.” During her days off, Romelyn enjoys relaxing at home watching movies as well as exploring the island.

Kaila and Sebastian Montero Quemado both work at Home Maid Bakery—they found working together to be very fun.

“Work, band, repeat” is what siblings Kaila and Sebastian Montero Quemado describe as their summer so far. Their parents encouraged the two to apply for a job so that they could experience how hard they work everyday. Because both siblings are members of the Maui High School Marching Band, having a job gives them the opportunity to earn money which will be helpful when it comes to paying their Marching Band fees or trips. So the siblings sought for a job at the same place because they found working together very fun. They are both currently working at Home Maid Bakery. For those who are thinking of getting a job, Kaila advises “Look for a job you might actually be comfortable doing. Also, working with a friend or sibling makes having a job pretty enjoyable.” Through their job, Sebastian has been able to strengthen his communication skills as well as Kaila improving her organizational skills.

Angelica Daoang works at Cupies and says working there is like having a second family.

Angelica Daoang says “A summer job is a great way to prepare yourself for future employments.” To gain experience in a workplace, Angelica currently works at Cupies’ Drive-In. She enjoys working at Cupies’ Drive-In because of her coworkers. “It really does feel like I have second family there” she adds. Angelica believes that working during the summer is very convenient for her as a teenager because she wouldn’t have to balance school and work. Classes at Maui High School such as Advance Guidance taught her the skill of being a team player. Because of that she is able to work with anyone despite who they are. “It’s a skill I learned in class and actually really helped me at work,” said Angelica. As a teenager who is earning her own money she advises others like her to apply for a job. “Don’t be scared to work!” is a tip she wants to advise aspiring teenagers. Throughout her job, Angelica also learned a lot about herself such as not really having much self control when it comes to money. She realized that she needed to become more financially responsible, a skill that will play a vital role in the future.

Lera May Tangkay works as a sales associate at Zumiez, Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center.

Maui High School senior Lera Mae Tangkay has been improving her self reliance and practices independence from her parents through her summer job. She works as a sales associate for Zumiez at Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center and has been working even before summer vacation to save money. With a job, Lera won’t have to depend on her parents to pay for little things such as clothes or food. She enjoys working for Zumiez because “The company makes sure to recognize all of their employees’ hard work, effort and achievements when it comes to making high net sales. It adds on to your commission and they give you more hours for work.” Although having a job sometimes interferes with her extracurricular activities or the time spent with her friends and family, it has taught her “the values of hard work and responsibilities,” Lera says. She has also learned she is able to manage her time effectively through her job which gives her an advantage because she’s also taking college classes at the University of Hawai‘i Maui College this summer. Lera recommends that it’s never too early to search for a job this summer: “Don’t wait until summer starts and don’t limit your job choices. All jobs can always help you learn important skills or lessons that can be useful for the long run.”

At the end of a stressful year at school, teenagers crave the freedom summer provides them. A period of relaxation, excitement, and fun awaits. Finally, they can sleep in, hang out, and just “chill.” But since independence from adults is what most teens strive to achieve, working during the summer might not be such a bad idea for them. This is the season where most teens apply for a job to earn a little cash. Through summer jobs, teens are able to build crucial skills including time and money management that set them up for success in the real world. This also allows adolescents to experience success and to understand how to create the life they’d like as adults.