Junior year. It’s the most daunting time in any St. George’s student’s life. The heavy course load, the beginning of the college process, the games, the prom – it can all be overwhelming. This was especially true for senior Shoaf Robinson, but to this, he added 30 hours of work per week.

Robinson has been working at Ridgeway Country Club as a server’s assistant for almost a year now.

“Once you start working you realize how much time you have,” Robinson said. His strict daily schedule made it difficult for Robinson to have time for anything but school or work.

Robinson’s routine consisted of “waking up at five, going to school, leaving and packing my work clothes in my car and then going to Ridgeway and working there most days until closing.” However, he describes his work experience as something that is “more than just making money.”

Robinson said working at Ridgeway has introduced him to many prominent people in the Memphis area. He has also made strong relationships with his fellow co-workers, one being bartender Kobie Grimes. Robinson describes him as a “relatable and an interesting person.” Grimes is someone that has opened Robinson’s my mind up to new perspectives.

Senior Beck Sims also works in the restaurant industry at Folk’s Folly Prime Steakhouse in East Memphis. He has worked there for almost a year now and said that his work experience thus far has been nothing but positive. Not only is he making extra money for himself, but he is learning tangible life lessons. Like Robinson, time management is an important lesson Sims is learning.

“In school, if you are late you get a tardy,” Sims said, “but at work if you are late, you have the chance of getting fired.”

Though Sims and Robinson are some of about 54.9 percent of students who work year round, according to a survey sent to the Collierville Campus, sophomore Katie Schaefer, like many others, works over the summer and occasionally during the year.

Schaefer has a natural knack for kids, so working as a lifeguard and at Little Georgie’s all summer was the perfect fit for her. Schaefer works about 11 hours a week, which can sometimes get in the way of church, one of her favorite pastimes.

“If we do stuff after school, or if I want to do something at church sometimes, I can’t,” Schaefer said. “Most nights I don’t go to bed until midnight.” Schaefer benefits from working because it helps support extra spending and church trips.

Time management has become an important factor to the daily routine of Schaefer’s life, a skill that became crucial for her when studying for AP World History.

Schaefer stated that she almost wanted to drop the class due to the fact that she had to stay up until 1:00 a.m. one night after work to complete notes.

“Make sure you like what you do, because if you don’t love what you do, it’s not going to be fun,” Schaefer said.

Meanwhile, junior Braylyn Little has ventured into the land of retail. Little, who works at Stein Mart, said that her job has taught her about responsibility. Little does not believe that everyone should get a job, but she believes that everyone should find something that makes them feel a sense of responsibility.

When asked about responsibility, Little was reminded of the time in which a rat made its way into Stein Mart. Not certain about how to handle the situation, Little went back to her training, which led her to contact customer service about the problem over the intercom. This action backfired when all of the customers began to freak out.

Moments like this in the workplace have caused Little to mature and taught her the value of independence.

“Everybody needs to find a kind of independence,” Little said.

Little does ensure that work never gets in the way of her school work. She has made sure that she and her managers have an understanding that school comes first, and everything else falls behind. Little believes that having a job is helping her learn how to “balance things when it comes to my many extracurriculars.” Overall, Little trusts that her experience in the workforce is helping her “find herself.”

Now that Robinson is in his senior year, cutting back hours at work was a necessity for him. He has been able to focus more on the college process and integrate new hobbies into his life. Robinson states that this new way of life has “gotten [him] into a more relaxed groove.”

“Last year, my mindset was make as much money as I can,” Robinson said. “Now, I have shifted to enjoying my life more.”