Victoria Davis – Say What? 6.21.2006

Victoria for 6-21-06
Headline
By VICTORIA DAVIS
 
Summer is upon us – beaches, boardwalks, sunshine, and, of course, the beloved summer jobs.
Every teenager from Philadelphia to New York to the locals are working in the Cape May County area this summer, in jobs ranging from restaurants to water parks to ice cream parlors to beaches.
Some work one or two days a week, and others string double shifts together like tinsel, but almost every kid has a job, working towards…what?
I know that my goal is to work towards a car. I get my license this October, and being a junior in high school, I am permitted to drive to school. But in order to get a car, I have to save up money for the car, the ridiculous insurance, and, of course, the sky-rocketing gas prices.
I’ve been working since I was 14, but I’ve switched jobs twice now.
My first summer I worked on the boardwalk, at an arcade, four mornings a week. I liked the boardwalk scene, loud and noisy, with lots of people to talk to. But being on the boardwalk every night ruined my perception of it. It was no longer fun to “hang” out up there, since I spent so much time around it.
Last summer, I worked from April to September at Dairy Queen. Working there was really good. I worked with friendly people and I enjoyed the work, but come this summer, I needed a change.
I was hired at Bandana’s Mexican Grille, in Wildwood Crest, and I’ve been working there since May. I absolutely love it. I work with fun, creative, and interesting people that make work fun.
But of course, it is work. I do a lot of different things at Bandana’s. I’m a hostess and an ice cream scooper, but sometimes I do take out orders and I’ll be starting food running. And I’ve been training for daytime waitressing.
I guess everyone has a summer job of some sort, working towards a goal of their own. My goal is independence and freedom, being able to depend solely on myself for transportation and a certain amount of allotted freedom when it comes to driving.
Paying for a car requires a lot of work, but when you work at a fun, friendly place in an atmosphere that is enjoyable, it becomes much faster.
Happy working, kids!
Davis, 16, of Green Creek, will be a junior at the Technical High School.