First jobs, real responsibilities: Cedar Falls teens join the workforce

When the last bell rings, some students are headed home or to after-school practices, but these students are clocking in. Aprons on, name tags clipped and suddenly the day turns into a work shift delivering independence, responsibility and learning what it really takes to juggle multiple responsibilities.

“I wanted money, obviously,” sophomore Hunter Kotur said when talking about taking his first job as a host at Mulligans, “and to stay busy. but the hardest part is the amount of time I can work. I don’t always finish all my homework.”

Junior Dakota Benson, who works over 20 hours a week on a family farm, said keeping up with everything has been tough. “Grades started to slip,” he admitted. “Trying to keep up with all my responsibilities is really hard.”

Even students who work fewer hours still feel the struggle. Senior Kaitlyn Eckhoff, whose first job was at Carlos O’Kelly’s, said she was “barely able to find time for homework.” Sophomore Selena Berg described staying up late to finish schoolwork after long shifts at Village Inn. “Getting loads of homework and also having to work over five hours in the same day is a lot,” she said.

Some students say a first job adds a kind of pressure that most people don’t expect. Junior Lily Pontasch, who works at Jimmy John’s, said, “Going to work after school and then coming home to homework, even though it’s late and you’re tired, is exhausting. It’s stressful, but it teaches you how to manage your time.”

For others, having flexibility makes a big difference. Senior Kael Moore, a janitor at Orchard Hill Church, said his schedule is “pretty flexible,” which helps him manage sports and schoolwork. “If you are able to manage your time well, it’s not too bad,” he said.

These students all said that the funny and chaotic things that happen make the struggle worth it—and sometimes those moments are unforgettable. Kotur recalled a customer getting kicked out of Mulligan’s. Berg said a coworker once found an interesting item in the boys’ bathroom, and Moore talked about having a piece of metal fall from a 30-foot ladder, narrowly missing his brother’s head.

Despite all of the challenges that these teens face working and attending school, most of them agree that having a job is worth it. Pontasch said, “You have the freedom of having your own money that you worked for and that you can spend how you want without your parents affecting it so much. It also gives you good life experience and teaches you a little more about adult life before you are truly an adult,” and Kotur said, “It’s worth it because then you have money to spend without asking your parents.” Berg said she appreciates being able to save for specific goals and feels proud of buying things herself.

Between school, work, and everything in between, these students are learning that a first job is about way more than just money. It’s about independence, responsibility, and figuring out how to juggle life—sometimes with chaotic customers and homework stacked high.