ARTS

FEATURES| 10 Students enrich summer with jobs, personal passions

Julia Herlyn ’23 News Ediitor F or some students, summer means lounging at the beach, preparing for the upcoming school year, vacationing away from home or finally catching up on lost hours of sleep. Others view their precious time off from school as an opportunity to get a job— allowing them to explore their passions and fill their schedules (of course, with the additional benefit of making some extra dough). Bruno Guiduli ’22 took advantage of his athletic interests this summer, privately training children in soccer at the Wakeman town soccer field. “Having the opportunity to help the younger players improve is a lot of fun because I was once in their position, trying to get better and better through similar coaching,” Guiduli said. Guiduli’s work schedule was flexible and self-managed, as he would train players on a request basis. In doing so, he discovered that coaching soccer could be something he considers pursuing later in life. “Soccer is a huge passion of mine and being able to share that passion with other kids is really special to me,” Guiduli said. “Eventually, I plan on coaching soccer because it’s just incredibly rewarding and it gives me a chance to continue playing and sharing the game I love.” Photo contributed by Bruno Guiduli ’22

Grace Fuori ’23 occupied some of her time this summer by working at Saugatuck Rowing Club Restaurant, seeking order and routine in her days away from school. “I wanted to get a summer job to help create structure throughout my summer,” Fuori said. “I like the feeling of having a routine and having a work schedule gave me that.” Fuori worked at the cafe, taking inventory of the items sold, restocking items as necessary, serving members and assisting the chefs in the kitchen. Upon closing, she cleaned the cafe and took inventory again, ensuring that the establishment could place proper orders for the following day. “It was definitely a good experience—the members were really nice and I made a lot of connections that could be useful in the future,” Fuori said. “The hours were flexible and I still had a lot of free time. I also feel that it taught me a lot of responsibility and other important skills that will help me later in life.”

Photo contributed by Grace Fuori ’23

Photo contributed by Matthew Gatto ’23

Matthew Gatto ’23 utilized his time off to instruct younger children in sports. Gatto worked for Westport Parks and Recreation, coaching tennis every weekday from 1 - 6:30 p.m at courts at Staples and working at Wakeman Town Farm. “A typical day of work began with me teaching the youngest children at Wakeman Town Farm,” Gatto said.

“Then, I would drive up to Staples where I taught the junior team.” At Staples, Gatto would start clinics by running drills with players for 30 minutes. He would then have them serve and play out points, heading back to Wakeman at 5 p.m. to teach yet another clinic. “Originally, I was motivated to apply for the job because my older sister worked for the town,” Gatto said. “Over time, I became more motivated by seeing the kids improve and begin to enjoy the sport.”

Gatto expressed gratitude for his job, describing his own love for the sport and for mentoring at large. “I feel most fulfilled when I am mentoring and teaching young children,” Gatto said. “I could see myself pursuing a career similar to this kind of work.”