First things first, not being employed during the school year does not make you any less hard-working or successful, for that matter. Every student has the freedom to choose where they want to spend their time and energy outside of school, and this might differ greatly from student to student. For example, applying to help out at Platts Animal Hospital during her freshman year just made sense for Kate Ozar ’24.

“I remember taking my cats up to Platt’s, starting at just age three,” Ozar said. “I would ask the veterinarian lots of questions and even bring my own lab coat up there from time to time.”

Ozar has worked as a kennel attendant there since she was hired amidst the pandemic in 2021, and she says she can’t wait to apply what she learned there in college as she works toward becoming a veterinarian herself.

“In addition to gaining experience as a future veterinarian, having a job and working with adult coworkers and clients exposes me to what feels more like the real world than school does,” Ozar said.

Working while being a full-time student raises the question of whether or not students like Ozar have enough time to manage it all. Fortunately for Ozar Co-op, a class designed specifically for students to take a few hours off of school, allows her to balance her work and school schedule while still earning a credit.

“Having a sometimes very packed schedule with work has made me realize how important planning really is and has made me more eager to get my homework done and out of the way,” Ozar said.

Although work can be a motivating factor for students like Kate to prioritize school work, other students find this urgency someplace else, like Evie Wodzisz ’26, who is a year-round athlete taking only two weeks off between each season.

“I do work as a summer camp counselor at Liggett during the summer, but I prefer not to work during the school year,” Wodzisz said.

Wodzisz says that the life skills she learns in a team environment, although different from professional experience in a workplace, are just as important and valuable to her.

“I like to have enough time to get all of my homework done, and honestly sometimes just need an hour to lie in bed and watch Tiktok,” Wodzisz said.

Unlike Ozar she says that having a job at this point in time is more of a way of making some extra cash in the summer rather than gaining experience that complies with a future career.

“I do, however, think that it is beneficial for all students to be a part of something outside of school whether it be joining a club, applying for a job, or trying out for a team,” Wodzisz said.