Over the summer, several Pinewood students worked in the Los Altos community, seeking to contribute in meaningful ways while making money.

   Junior Shay Cornyn worked at Teaspoon, a boba cafe. Sophomore Kyle Ma got a job at Ume Tea, while Junior Ana Weinstock took on a role at Jamba Juice. Sophomore Josh Tian started his own shoe reselling business online.

   Prompted by the appeal of making money while learning a new skill, Cornyn began his career. He wanted to work at a company that he has interest in, which he said maximized his enjoyment of his role.

   Cornyn said he improved his customer service skills and learned how to be polite to difficult customers while still following the company’s policies.

   Around the same time, Ma began working in a similar niche. Ma began working at Ume Tea, a store that aligned with his passion — cooking.

   Ma also said that his job helped him understand what a real work environment looks like.

   “I need to be aware because of the moving parts inside the kitchen,” Ma said.

   Through his job, Ma also said he was immersed in his culture through practicing a foreign language.

   “It definitely helps improve my Chinese since most of the people there speak only Chinese,” Ma said.

   As a sophomore, Ma compared his job to an “extra club” and believed it is manageable compared to academic coursework.

   While some students may see a job as demanding, Weinstock’s job at Jamba Juice is a relaxing endeavor.

   Weinstock said it was a casual job environment that led her to meet new high schoolers that she enjoys spending time with. However, her easy going job environment has also led to negatives.

   “I am stuck doing most of the work, since the shift leads are inefficient,” Weinstock said.

Sophomore Tian started his own business over the past year, reselling sneakers online through his Instagram page @JTResellz.

   He was drawn to the idea of starting a business due to his knowledge of sneakers and his desire to generate revenue to fund his own sneaker collection.

   Through his business, Tian said he has learned many useful skills, like how to manage both his money and time.

   Tian said he has an advanced money management system, where he splits percentages of a sale into reinvestment or savings.

   “It’s hard to get customers and have a good follower base on Instagram,” Tian said. “But it just takes time, and once you get past that stage it is a lot easier.”