THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 5, 1995 TAG: 9505030188
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TREVOR WRIGHT, HIGH SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
Eventually, most every teen will have to go into the real world and find a job, but all of them aren't doing it for themselves. Some are doing it for someone they love.
Many teenagers don't work just to buy name-brand clothing or the miscellaneous junk they happen to fall for while strolling past store windows. These teenagers work to help out at home.
``Everyone runs into a tight budget every now and then,'' said Kelly Schwaiger, 17, a junior at Ocean Lakes High and former waitress at Bingo Palace. ``Sometimes it's nice to let them (parents) know how thankful you are, and that there is a helping hand near, even if it comes from their children.''
When Kelly worked at Bingo Palace, she waited tables one to three sessions a night, usually catering to customers over 50, and earning $20 a session plus tips.
Now she is a clerk at Sunsations, an Oceanfront shop. Most of the money she earns is kept in what Kelly calls an ``emergency'' fund.
``The emergency fund is used to either help my family or used for paying off any of my previous expenses,'' Kelly said.
Other students contribute in equal ways, but for different reasons.
``I work on weekends to help my family get by until payday. My money usually goes into helping to buy groceries,'' said LaTasha Peeler, 15, a freshman at Ocean Lakes. LaTasha passes out fliers door to door for Angelo's Pizza.
Her older brother, Michael, 18, helps her with the fliers, while her younger sister Tonya, 14, baby-sits. They too donate portions of their money to help their family.
A number of today's teens work for different reasons than their peers of the past.
For instance, Juanita Weiss, an English teacher at Ocean Lakes High School said, ``Kids of today will jeopardize their education because they desire a name-brand `this' and leather `that.' '' In the past, she said, if kids risked their academics by working, it was because their families needed the income.
A 1994 Rand Youth Poll reported that half of all teenagers work, earning more than $100 a week. While most of these teenagers are doing it for themselves, there are a few who are working to secure their future - and that of their families. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Trevor Wright
by CNB