Student Perspective

     The difficulty of adding a work schedule to an academic course-load almost inevitably causes some to begin slacking in one of the two departments. Most of the students at Storm Lake High School have a job in the summer or during the school year. This causes some students to need to find a balance a balance between work and school.

     Some of the students work because the money they earn helps support their families. Yajaira Carrillo says she works in the summer because, “usually our parents need a lot more help. So, for them work is really big, so if you have work we can help our parents, and everything’s okay.”

     Most students said they understand work is important and working themselves helps them accept when their parents are not always able to be at all of their school functions because they are working.

     Other students, like Cinthia Balandran, work many hours to help pay for their own bills. She pays for her insurance, gas, and items she might need. She says that one problem with working so many hours is she is not always able to hang out with friends.

     “I don’t normally do much outside of that [work]. I have one friend and we hang out sometimes on the weekends, but other than that, I don’t go out much. Otherwise, I go out and it’s like later in the night,” she said.

     Balandran says that she understands that she might not be able to do everything she wants, but she knows she is working hard for her future.

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Faculty Perspective

     Teachers and staff and SLHS recognize that their students tend to work more than those at other schools in the area. Some of the students even work two or three jobs. They know that sometimes the amount that some students work affects attendance because of things like tight time schedules and family responsibilities.

     Knowin this, they do their best to help students get their credits.

     “Seeing students persevere once they have set their goals and make up their minds to achieve them is key,” said Sandy Mouw, a Guidance Counselor at Storm Lake High School.

     Because there is no easy solution when students have to balance such a tough schedule, the school tries its best to work with students. 

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NationWide

     From April to July 2015, the number of employed youth 16 to 24 years old increased by 2.1 million to 20.3 million, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. According to Child Trends Databank, nearly all young adults (97 percent) have held a job between high school and age 22. For this 97 percent, employment after high school is usually a transitional experience, in support of plans for their college education.

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Solution

     Students feel that by lowering the cost of education, they would be capable of going to school without a job. In this case, students who work full-time jobs would be able to work part-time hours and use the money for their own or their family's needs.

     By ensuring that each and every student is able to go to college we are able to better our society. This in turn will allow children, teenagers, and young adults to create a better life for their future families.