CAMPUS
12
March 2019
Internships become more popular than jobs Nihal Karim As summer approaches, students start to think about how they can spend their summer break in a useful way. According to Pew Research, approximately 20 percent of high school students had a job in 2014, a significant decrease from past years. While the percentage of working teens is higher during the summer, the number of students who get summer jobs has decreased in recent years. One of the reasons for this decline is an increase in schoolwork. The percentage of high school students who take summer classes has tripled over the past 20 years. In addition, around 70 percent of 2015 high school graduates were enrolled in college, according to The Atlantic. Since more and more students are attending college, many of them decide to spend their summer vacation preparing for the future through internships, rather than jobs. “Internships can provide you with valuable life experience and better experience in the field you’re working in,” Zach Burgos, a senior, said. “It also looks good
Weekly Calendar MON 18
TUE 19
WED 20
• 8 a.m. 3 p.m. – school
• 8 a.m. 3 p.m. – school
• 8 a.m. 3 p.m. – school
• 5-7 Practice 4-8 p.m. work
• 4-6 Tutoring 4-8 p.m. work
• 5-7 Practice 4-8 p.m. work
on your college applications.” Due to the pressure teens face to get into a college, many use summer break as an opportunity to increase their skills and knowledge in their preferred field. Furthermore, high school students who are interested in fields such as medicine or computer science may find it hard to find jobs due to their lack of experience or training.
THU 21
• 8 a.m. 3 p.m. – school
FRI 22
SAT 23
• 8 a.m. 3 p.m. – school
• 12 4p.m. do homework
• 5-7 Practice 4-8 p.m. work
• 5-8 p.m. hang out with friends 4-8 p.m. work
“Personally, I would rather participate in an internship. I think that, as a teen, it allows you to work in a field that you are interested in,” said Danny Kholodenko, a junior who interned in IT services over the summer. “Overall, I think that internships can provide you with experiences, as well as help you realize what you do and don’t like early on in your life.”
SUN 24
• 12 4p.m. do homework
Nihal Karim
However, while some teens prefer to get a summer internship, others think that having either a summer or long-term job will be more beneficial in the future. “I think that having a job has more of a work environment. It teaches you valuable life lessons and gives you insights about the world, as well as teaching you how to be responsible,” Anna Jedrzejek, a junior, said. “I also think
that since internships usually take place over the summer, you don’t have enough time to make connections with other people.” While some students decide to apply for internships because they want to get experience in a field they are interested in, some find paying jobs that provide experience as well. “I will be working as a Decathlon Sports Counselor over the summer,” Burgos said. “I feel like if you’re someone who likes sports, something like this could be good for you because you get to do what you like and get the experience of working in an organized establishment at the same time.” High school students may choose whether to participate in an internship or apply for a job. The two share similarities and differences that may or may not appeal to certain students. For example, some internships typically don’t pay their interns money. “I think that if you have an internship that pays you money, it’s sort of like having the best of both worlds,” David Bedrosian, a senior, said. “You get to be an intern, but you also get to earn money for yourself.”
Outdoor Ed brings new experiences to students Rachel Hunter
“For the last two years I have been wanting to go to become a counselor at Outdoor Ed but I never had the opportunity because of my scheduling with spring sports,” Cook said. Our memories from childhood will always hold a special place in our hearts. For many, “But considering it’s my senior year and this is a once in a lifetime experience, I decided their favorite childhood memory was of Outdoor Ed. The time when we got to skip a week to do it because of how fun it would be to spend time and develop relationships with the of school to go out in the forest and sing campfire songs under the starry sky. kids.” According to the San Mateo County Office of Education, San Mateo Outdoor EducaBecoming an Outdoor Ed counselor is quite different from when tion is an opportunity for fifth and sixth graders to spend a week at the high school students were younger. Instead of just reliving old YMCA Camp Jones Gulch. These students get to learn about and memories, high schoolers are able to create new memories experience nature while learning social development skills such and bonds with each of the elementary school students. as communication and independence with the help of coun“I remember the night when I brought my students selors. on the night hike,” Tiara Testa, a senior, said. “In the Now there is an opportunity for high schoolers to remiddle of our hike, one of the kids came up to me live their past and be the counselor that they looked up and asked if I could walk with her because she was to as kids. too afraid to walk alone. And so, I did. She had the “High schoolers get to be counselors for Outdoor biggest smile on her face and was glad she wasn’t Ed and help lead a group of elementary schoolers for alone.” the week,” said Greta Foehr, a junior and a member Even though Outdoor Ed has had a huge impact of the ASB Do Something commission. “They make on Testa’s life, it is also just a way for high school sure the kids are always supervised and behaved. They students to take a short break from of their busy Kinsey Cook also lead activities and act as mentors for the elementary school schedules. school kids and work to make their Outdoor Ed experiOutdoor Ed does not allow students to be Senior ence.” stressed over tests and schoolwork, but rather to be Counselors give the fifth and sixth grade students free in nature. someone to admire during the whole week at Outdoor Ed, “To sign up, there is an Outdoor Ed window right outand make their experience more memorable. High school students who previside of the ASB room with all of the directions, or you can go to the ously went to Outdoor Ed, still remember their counselors and how much they Carlmont website under the ASB tab where there should be a section on Outdoor were able to make the trip never be forgotten. Ed and all of the specific instructions are there,” Foehr said. "Since there is an op“The one thing that I remember from Outdoor Ed was when we did the night portunity for high schoolers to sign up for Outdoor Ed, high school students can hike,” Kinsey Cook, a senior, said. “At first I was terrified, but then it was not as experience new relationships with elementary school students while still having scary as I thought and in the end, the counselors made that hike so fun. During a fun time." that week, I looked up to my counselors since they made the trip more exciting “I would definitely encourage other people to become Outdoor Ed counseland memorable.” ors because it was a great opportunity for me to take me back considering the Because of Cook’s experience at Outdoor Ed, she has decided to become a last time I went was more than five years ago,” Testa said. “I made many new counselor to influence and share her own experiences to the elementary stufriendships and memories along this trip that I will never forget." dents.
“I decided to become a counselor because of how fun it would be to spend time and develop relationships with the kids.”