A dairy farm. An office building. Spain. These three seemingly incongruous things have a single link: a Baron will be there this summer.

This summer, Josia Abate is “working at Hameau Farm in Belleville, Pennsylvania.” This farm “is an active dairy farm but also a summer camp for girls to inspire and motivate them.” Josie says that she is looking forward to “continuing [her] career in agriculture” and spending her “9th year at the farm” and her “3rd [year] as an employee.”

Only some have such unorthodox jobs. Some, such as juniors Alex Coulouris and Alejandro Amaya, work at stores like Harris Teeter and Party Warehouse. Alex describes the experience as “boring, but worth the money and experience.” It was “a little challenging to find the right time in my life where I could have a job. Building a resume and doing an interview was intimidating to do for the first time.” Meanwhile, Alejandro found he “gained money and better people skills.” In terms of trying to get the job, he found it “fairly easy since my family knows the people that work there.” 

Sophomore Zella Kuhl is “working at a pool snack bar as a shift manager.” Zella “worked there last year as a regular employee” and is “working there because it’s fun, and  [she needs] work experience and money.” Similarly, Benjamin Pallansch will “be working over the summer at Round House Theatre.”

Meanwhile, Sophomore Hadley Poulas is traveling abroad. She’s “going on a backpacking trip to Spain for a few weeks! She’s “super excited” because she’s “never been before. Isabella Crevoiserat is going back to California, where [she] moved from in 2021, to see all [her] old friends. Kira Scheig is also traveling, but Kira is “going to Savannah, Georgia, to do art classes for a week on character design and animation.” Sabina Ramirez-Solis is “working” and “going on a cruise to Europe with my family.” Finally, Gigi Lopez is “going to the Galapagos Islands with [her] mom and brother, which is something [they’ve] been wanting to do for a while.”

Some students at B-CC choose to take on internships or volunteer. “Internships enhance students’ career-based knowledge,” said B-CC’s Internship Coordinator, Ms. Hidalgo, adding that internships “Prepare students to transition into college and the work environment seamlessly.” 

 Junior Kyla Chapman is volunteering at “a non profit called SEEC,” which works with people with disabilities to provide them with a community and job opportunities. Specifically, she will “be holding a singing class for the people they support.” She has worked previously with SEEC and is doing it again because “the environment is amazing, and the people they support are amazing!”

 Senior Dean McKenna is currently interning at Washington Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine. Doing an internship allowed him to “experience one of [his] interests first-hand and discover if it was something [he] wanted to do in the future.” Another reason was due to his brother, who “suggested it to [him] as well,” along with the fact “it would also be a good resume builder for college applications.” Izzy Gieser is “very excited” for when she will “be working with the FDA in White Flint.”

Either way, the value of work comes not just from the profits you make but the experience, which is crucial for students as they begin to plan their future careers and, as such, need to learn. Hopefully, this summer will be one to remember no matter what you do, but jobs and internships would undoubtedly be an excellent way to make lasting memories.