Many students at Portage Northern High School work jobs, whether it’s to get money, for fun, or to appease their parents. One such student is junior Alex Barker, who is employed at Crumbl Cookie in Kalamazoo. “I love to bake, so I thought that I would enjoy working with baked goods,” said Barker. “The best part of my job is when a few of us are balling and just talking about anything!”

Like Barker, many students here at Northern enjoy their jobs. One awesome thing many students find after getting a job is just how great their fellow employees are. “So far everyone that I have worked with has been really kind and chill,” Barker shared. “A lot of my colleagues are in high school or college so we are all around the same age which is nice because, for the most part, we understand when someone is talking about classes. My bosses are really chill and fun while also being professional when the time calls for it.”

Although employment is definitely a perk of growing up for some students, there also seems to be some unfortunate drawbacks, one being that it is (as the name suggests) a lot of work. “The most challenging part of my job is when we…run out of a cookie and have to speedrun balling and baking,” said Barker. Overall, Barker says that she enjoys her job, despite the challenges. “This is my first job and it has been such a great experience to be able to work with so many wonderful people.”