Raise your hand if you like to earn money!

Some Beaver Area High School students raised their hands and shared their summer work experiences.

Bruster’s Ice Cream is a crowd favorite during the summer, and if you stop there, junior Erin Bell might be the one serving you.

“My job is to serve the customers ice cream and help run the store throughout the night,” said Bell.

However, having a summer job comes with many ups and downs, but Bell’s favorite part is all the new people she meets.

“It was certainly a challenging summer with school letting out so early, but I love my job! Meeting all my coworkers who live at college during the school year is definitely the best part of the summer because they have become good friends,” Bell said.

Ice cream wasn’t the only thing being scooped by a Beaver Area High School student this year. Junior Jadyn Elliott spent her summer scooping buffet food.

“I was a waitress and banquet server at Seven Oaks Country Club,” shared Elliott. “I plan to work there through the winter too.”

Working in the food industry isn’t easy; it requires a lot of responsibility and initiative.

“Something I learned from working [at Seven Oaks] was that I’m a leader not a follower,” stated Elliott proudly. “You always have to be one step ahead.”

And like many others, Elliott’s favorite part of the job was working with her friends.

“I loved working with my friend Sara [Majors] and all my other friends; we always had so much fun,” said Elliott.

And work doesn’t feel much like work if you’re having fun with your friends while doing it.

Seven Oaks Country Club was an employment hotspot for Beaver Area students this summer. Many students spent their summer lifeguarding there, including junior Elstaia Ray.

Ray took on a stressful yet extremely fun job this summer. Becoming a certified lifeguard is not an easy process.

“I had to learn how to make quick decisions and to not be afraid to ask for help,” explained Ray. “I learned how to be myself.”

The stress was well worth it with all the memories she made.

While those are all fun jobs, some students took a different approach . . . retail.

Junior Simon Potts worked two jobs this summer, one at Subway and one at Shop n Save. He gave some advice from what he learned from working at Shop n Save.

“Communication and having empathy for those who may not be able to afford things for their loved ones or to get by is key when working in retail,” shared Potts. “I love to chat with customers I see everyday; it’s my favorite part [of the job].”

Senior Isabella DiPietriantonio worked as a sales associate at AOE Boutique in Ellwood City.

“I do a lot of around the store like inventory, rearranging the floor, doing the sign and window drawings, and lots in style and design overall,” DiPietriantonio shared.

Retail is about more than just working in a store; DiPietriantonio described it as “a little community.”

A summer job can be a special experience when it helps you learn new skills and become more passionate about something you love (all while earning some money).

“I love fashion, style, and design, so for a high school job, it has been an amazing opportunity to work and grow in something I’m passionate about,” concluded DiPietriantonio.