After the bell rings and the school day ends Rory Jackson 26’ reports to her part time job at Northern Lights pizza. The self proclaimed ‘pizza master’ clocks in, puts on her gloves, and gets to work serving customers a taste of ‘the home of tasty crust.’ Jackson has a special connection to her job, viewing her coworkers as family and valuing the lessons they and the company have taught her.
“Honestly the best part of my job is the people, I love surrounding myself with people I can laugh with. I also like the work, throwing the dough and learning new things about cooking. I love that there’s so many things you can make with the pizzas, which sounds kind of dumb, but I love it” stated Jackson.
At the start of her shift Jackson throws on her apron and gloves and goes to look at the tv screen in the kitchen displaying current pizza orders. She docks and throws dough until the end of the shift when she restocks everything and washes the dishes. Through all the many roles Jackson must play while on duty, her least favorite is working the oven.
“I’m not usually on the oven, because I’m not very good at it and I’m not very tall. It’s a tall oven. I’m also too weak,” said Jackson.
Jackson started her job at Northern Lights a year ago, and since has become one of their top workers. She knows everything there is to know about her position. With this knowledge comes a lot of responsibility, which Jackson states is the hardest part about her job.
“The hardest part is people do look up to me, because I know what I am doing. I have to help my coworkers, keep them on task, and I have to make the schedule sometimes,” said Jackson.
Jackson has a special bond with her coworkers and struggles to choose a favorite. Out of all of them though she feels closest with her manager Mitch. Jackson feels like she can confide in Mitch about anything, and he is always willing to help and be there for her. They also bond over their shared love for metal bands such as Korn and Alice In Chains.
“I have a lot of favorite coworkers, but they are all my favorite for different reasons. I would say Mitch is my favorite, who is my manager, because he tells me what i’m doing wrong and how to fix it. He is also very fun to talk to and we bond a lot over our music taste,” Jackson stated.
This part time job has not only provided Jackson with new friendships but also valuable lessons she will remember in the future.
“There are always things you can do to improve your life, if you went through school struggling with bad grades, college isn’t the only way to make a living. I think that’s the biggest life lesson I’ve learned because I haven’t had the best grades. My coworkers, the manager, the owner, they all didn’t have the best grades but they are making a good living. This job has helped me realize that other people have gone through things but that doesn’t mean you can’t live a good life,” stated Jackson.
Jackson believes that all people her age should get a job if possible. Jobs can be essential in teaching teenagers important life skills. Jackson expresses many other teens she knows don’t know how to do things such as the dishes, sweeping, mopping, and laundry.
“I do think high schoolers should have a job because it prepares them for the real world. It teaches you how to do basic life skills which not everybody knows how to do. Jobs also teach you social skills and how to save and invest money,” Jackson said.
