High school students across the country take on the task of juggling a part-time job along with the demands of school everyday. Whether it is grabbing a bite to eat with friends or satisfying the urge to shop, it is undeniable that a typical high school social life demands money.

Since parents cannot always supply teenagers with discretionary funds, so taking on a part-time job is not only a regular source of income but also a valuable experience.

“I love my job,” said senior Victoria Calderon said. “I work at Rita’s in Glen Rock. I usually make minimum wage plus tips.”

Working at Rita’s is the first real job Calderon has had.

“During the winter I work three hours a week,” she said. “However during the summer I work about 18-20 hours and tips are awesome. I needed to get a job because I wanted to make my own money so I could stop bothering my parents for money.”

John LaMacchia, a sophomore at Glen Rock High School, works as a caddy at the Archola Country Club in Paramus.

“I love my job because everyone you meet is so nice and they make me feel very welcome,” LaMacchia said. “My brother is also a caddy and he was making all this money and I got jealous and asked him if he was able to get me a job as well.”

Junior Colin Morrow works part time at Wine and Spirit World in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ. He makes $8.50 an hour, plus tips. He works around 8.5 to 9.5 hours per week.

“I usually get there before any customers and then I do different things like vacuum the floor and sweep,” he said. “When customers start coming in, I go behind the desk and start bagging their items because I’m not old enough to check anything out.”

Morrow is also tasked with cleaning wine glasses for tastings, retrieving bottles of wine from the cellar when needed and helping customers carry their purchases to their car.

“It’s a lot of hours a week but it’s a good way to earn money,” he said. “One time, we had to cater for a party so myself and another worker carried out two kegs and like fifteen boxes of wine up this large flight of stairs. The guy gave me a 30 dollar tip and I went back and asked my boss if I can help cater for another party.”

Part-time jobs can be looked at as experience-building stepping stones. They provide high school students with money as well as teach responsibility.

“It feels good when you leave with money that you know you worked hard for,” Morrow said.