My High School Jobs

By Jonathan Rosenberg

Greenhouse
This was the very first job that I had. When I turned 16, I started looking for job openings online. Through Indeed, I saw a greenhouse looking to hire a general laborer. I rode my bike to the greenhouse and went inside to inquire about the position. It was a small family-owned place with a few employees. After talking to the owner—who was not even aware that the opening was posted on Indeed—I was given a quick interview and was told that I would hear back from them in a few days. The next day, I received a phone call stating that I got the job . On my first day, I did not receive much training; I was led straight into the action. It turns out, I started on the busiest day of the year: the day before Mother's Day. After being there only half an hour, I was already hauling bags of dirt into customer's cars. That was basically the bulk of my job during the spring season. For this reason, I was called "Dirt Boy." Even during the rest of the year, many of my duties revolved around dirt. I filled pots with dirt, transported dirt, and cleaned dirt from the facilities. It may sound like a boring or off-putting job to many people, but I actually really enjoyed it. I was allowed to listen to music while working or I could talk to my coworkers when I was assigned to a task with them. I was the only teenager working there, but I still got along great with my coworkers. Another huge plus of the job was the schedule. During the school year, I would work directly after classes ended for about 4 hours. I did not even need to work on weekends, except during spring. In spring, I also worked on Saturdays and Sundays for 10 hour shifts. The job also provided me with interesting experiences. The owners of the greenhouse were going to a horticultural show in Columbus, Ohio and allowed the rest of us to come along if we wanted. I attended the event and had a great time learning about all these innovative new products in the horticultural industry. Unfortunately, I had to quit my job after a little over a year there due to personal reasons. Looking back, I am thankful for my time there and grateful to the amazing greenhouse owners. Below is an image from Home Depot (https://images.thdstatic.com/productImages/e1e8d8e1-260d-4954-8076-ac174d9db00f/svn/greenview-lawn-fertilizers-2329831-64_600.jpg) of a typical palette of dirt that I would use at work.

Summer Camp

Without a doubt, working as a camp counselor was the most fun I have had at a job. Unlike my other part-time jobs, working at the summer camp was intermittent, since I had to wait for the season. I was a camp counselor in the summers of 2018-2020. It was especially nice since my two best friends also worked with me at the same camp, and we always got assigned to work in the same group as each other. The campers would be sorted into groups of about 15, with 3 counselors per group. Beyond the joy of working with my best friends, it was also fun to work with the campers. The kids were in fifth and sixth grade and were typically very nice. In my second year as a counselor, I had many of my former campers return and request to be in my group. It was sad seeing these kids unable to return in my third year, as they would have been too old. As part of the summer camp, we got to take the kids on field trips. One of the trips that most stands out to me is when we went kayaking. The campers were put in two-person kayaks, as were the counselors. Several campers fell out of their kayaks, which meant that my friends and I had to jump into the water and help them back inside their boats. Some kids intentionally jumped inside, in the hopes to see a northern hogsucker. After helping two kids back into their boat and paddling a little further, I hear them start to yell back. My friend and I row to them and discover that they have leeches inside the kayak. I quickly threw them back into the water and continued on with the trip. Overall, it was an incredible experience working as a camp counselor, and I have many fond memories from my times there. Unfortunately, the camp was not open in the summer of 2021 due to COVID-19 ☹. Hopefully, I will be able to return again as a counselor this next summer. Listed below are my five favorite places we went for field trips:

1. Kayaking
2. Trampoline Park
3. Hiking
4. Cathedral
5. Park

Nursing Home
I would definitely refer to this job as my most meaningful. I started working here back in June of 2020, a few months after COVID-19 had begun to take shape in the US. I was hired here as a dietary aide, meaning that I work in the kitchens and dining halls. I would read the residents' tickets and place the ordered food on their trays and then deliver them. After the residents finished eating, I would wash all the dishes in a giant industrial dishwasher. In fact, I applied to this place on pure accident; I had meant to apply to a different nursing home—one that my friend worked at—but got mixed up since they had very similar names and are on the same street. Regardless, I am happy I made this mistake since it was a great job. I made many friends here, many of whom I still remain in contact with. There were also nice benefits, such as being able to take home any food that was leftover. However, the most important aspect about the job to me was being able to communicate with the elderly residents. Before the virus, and before I worked there, the residents ate in dining halls with their friends, but the pandemic forced them to have to stay in their rooms for much of the day. Delivering the food, I was able to talk to the residents who desperately wanted interaction. After many months, the dining halls reopened and the general morale among residents greatly improved. I stayed with this job right up until I moved into Princeton in August. On my last day, it was hard saying goodbye to all the residents. I am still employed there as a seasonal worker, so I look forward to going back to see all the residents and staff. Here is a picture of me working at the nursing home.

Here is a nice music clip that comes from http://free-loops.com/8546-140-piano.html

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