As you’re up next in the lunch line, you see students who are near the same age as you asking you what you would like for lunch. These are the student lunch workers of Cathedral Catholic.
Student workers get paid nine dollars per hour, one more dollar than the required eight dollar minimum wage in California.
Senior Anthony Rodriguez works at all the lunch lines as frequently as he can. He said, “It’s a lot of fun because it’s good to be communicating with others like a team.”
Student workers have two main jobs: being cashiers and handing food to the cashiers to give to the customers. “You have to be sixteen or older, and you have to have a work permit,” said Anthony.
Senior Laura Martinez, another student who works three times per week as a cashier, agreed with Anthony. She said, “It’s awesome! It’s not just about the money; it’s a growing experience because you grow mentally as a person, and you learn from your mistakes and improve on them.”
Laura also enjoys the free meal they get for working. “For a regular meal you get free chips, a drink, and a main dish.”
“The bad thing about it, though, is that I can’t spend time with my friends,” she said.