The end of the school year is slowly approaching and students are anticipating the arrival of summer break. With this, students are seeking water-related job opportunities over the summer to gain experience in an organized work environment. Along with the fun of swimming and dipping your toes into the water, water-related jobs also aid teens in building critical thinking skills needed for success within work and school environments.
“I work as a lifeguard and swim instructor on base, [it’s] in Fort Belvoir,” said senior-year student Elea Junod. “Getting used to the patrons and meeting people is definitely the easiest part. You make a lot of friends. I never really was good at swimming beforehand but, after, [I] learned how to swim more efficiently,” Junod said.
Junod had described the skills she acquired as a lifeguard and the overall benefits of her job. Specifically, her job as a lifeguard is realistic for students to apply for over the summer as pools tend to open following Memorial Day.
Freshman student Colin Bui works as an attendant at Pirates Cove Waterpark. Similarly to Junod, Bui speaks on how he has made new connections with friends that are present at Hayfield Secondary and different schools.
“I have gotten many new friends from my school and other schools and even talked to friends I haven’t talked to in a while. I have learned to cooperate with others while we work and utilize teamwork to make sure we do our jobs the best we can,” said Bui.
Bui spoke highly of his job as, “pretty good for keeping a balance for school and work life,” while also highlighting the valuable hard skills he has acquired from his time at Pirates Cove. Teamwork is especially something that can be learned in school but, certainly, improved from outside work settings as demonstrated by our above, dedicated high school students. In addition to the essential skills Junod and Bui had improved on, senior Ava Derks gained technical skills in lifeguarding at her summer job.
“Being a lifeguard has helped me in the real world. As for improvements, I’m a certified lifeguard and I have been trained by the Red Cross at a professional level. Practicing saves and our Emergency Action Plan is always a way to improve our efficiency as a team so everyone knows what to do in case of an emergency” Derks said.
Derks showed how students can obtain technical skills as a lifeguard that are not taught in other settings. Overall, Hayfield high school students have demonstrated how working over the summer at water parks or pools can be enjoyable and educational outside of the classroom. Whether you love aquatic activities or enjoy being around the aroma of water, there are summer jobs that will be worth your time and even beneficial to the overall success of your future.
