Teens are very busy. Beyond school work, social lives and many students have jobs and many are currently looking for jobs. Teens in the workforce often have a difficult time managing school and work at the same time. Junior Kayla Ledbetter works at Quality Sleep Mattress in Monroe. She loves working during the school year and believes working keeps her focused in her studies.

“If anything, school is easier because my mom said that if  I don’t keep my grades up then I won’t have a job,” Ledbetter said.

For others it is a little more difficult to work and go to school at the same time. Senior Abbigayle Storwick works at Albertsons in Clearview and finds it more difficult. “As much as I want to, I literally don’t have time to spend hours working on a paper. I can’t be writing during work. I like money, and sometimes that is a lot more attractive to me than a good grade,” Storwick said.

Working and being in school can be challenging and sometimes students have to decide which is more important.

Although managing time between work and school can be difficult, there are benefits for teens in the workforce. According to Junior Aaron Moors, who works at Dairy Queen in Lake Stevens, working while in school isn’t all bad.

“ I like who I work with and like to make people happy by serving them,” Moors said.

Some also get the benefit of employee discounts like Ledbetter, who’s been working at Quality Sleep Mattress for two months, and gets a discount next month. Storwick also gets a discount at Albertsons.

“When purchasing items, we get ten percent off of in store brands and five percent off of national brands,” Storwick says.

Teens in the workforce can sometimes have a hard time managing time between school and working, but there are also a lot of benefits such as gaining experience in the work force.