For two years now I’ve been working at the Evergreen Youth Center. To be honest it’s probably one of the best jobs that a teenager could get.
If any of you have ever attended Colonia Middle School and if you’re a senior now then you probably vaguely remember the Evergreen Youth Center; since it opened up our 8th grade year for middle school students only. The Evergreen offered a variety of activities to do that included sports such as basketball, ping pong, pool and volleyball. In addition to that you can play video games on three different consoles or just do your homework with friends. It’s obvious that the Evergreen offers a lot of different activities and any middle school kid could enjoy it; however after three years I returned there to be a counselor and not a kid playing around.
To be honest when I saw counselors at the Evergreen in 8th grade I thought they were either volunteering or were somehow being forced against their will to serve immature middle school kids. I honestly thought no one could enjoy working with middle school kids even if you were getting paid to do it. After working there for about two years, I can say that my initial impressions were dead wrong.
I still stand by my statement that working at the Evergreen is one of the best jobs a teenager could get for a lot of good reasons. Yes, most middle school kids are as obnoxious and immature as it gets, but put yourself in the shoes of a middle school gym teacher. Yes you still have to discipline kids, yell at them from time to time but most of your job lets you have just as much fun as the kids. Whether it’s building with Legos, doing a craft or helping someone with their homework, there’s never a dull moment.
On top of that you have great hours. On average I only work three days a week and it’s only for three hours a day. The best part is they’re only 3PM-6PM every day, which gives you the rest of the day off. Working late nights is almost a requirement if you have a job as a teenager, whether it’s at Food Town or Yankee Candle. Colonia High School Senior, Alex Gall told me that his hours at Pizza Hut are from 6PM-10PM and said “The hours I work are the worst part of his job.”
The Evergreen is definitely worth checking out especially if you want a job. Even if you’re not old enough to get a job you can still volunteer there for community service! Already a few Freshmen and Sophomores have taken advantage of this and have already received enough community service hours. Colonia High School Sophomore Matt Quille has already earned over a hundred community service hours! Honestly I think anyone in high school can find something at the Evergreen.
