Teens clock in for summer
BY HANNAH BUNNING Gulf Breeze News news@gulfbreezenews.com

Hannah Bunning/Gulf Breeze News Jaime Hayes (right) and Matt Bearden enjoy their time working at The Club's summer camp while participating in a watermelon fight. Hayes has worked at The Club for five years and keeps coming back to help out with summer camp.

Summer is here, and a tan is not the only thing students are working on. For many young adults, summertime means not only relaxation and spending time with friends and family, but also earning money for the upcoming school year. Driving around Gulf Breeze and Pensacola Beach, you may notice many students working at any and all types of businesses. In fact, some businesses are run almost completely by students throughout the summer months.

The Club's summer camp is one such business. "I came back to my job because of my love of working with kids and the great staff. I love working The Club's summer camp because its an exciting job with lots of activity, it keeps me busy and I think the counselors have just as much fun as the kids do," said Jaime Hayes, a five-year employee of The Club. Local summer camps are without a doubt one of the most popular places for students to work during the summer.

The Gulf Breeze Recreation Center's summer camp also draws many of their summer employees from students looking for a seasonal job. "I enjoy working with people my age as well as kids - the field trips we take are just a bonus," said Eric Eddy who has returned to the Rec Center for his fifth summer.

Although summer camps are a definite seasonal job, they are not the only places students seek employment. "I applied to The Limited, Express, Dillard's, Bath and Body Works, and Beall's," said Katie Dollinger, a 2006 graduate of Gulf Breeze High School. However, Dollinger eventually settled at Sideline's Sports Bar and Restaurant on Pensacola Beach. "I am going to say it was a shorter commute. It has more diversity so I will never get bored. I enjoy working with people and always having something to do. I think you can learn a lot in the restaurant industry, even for a short period of time... and hey, the food discount doesn't hurt either," she said of her choice to sign on at Sideline's.

Grace Papajohn, a junior at Gulf Breeze High School and a member of the volleyball team, is taking a different approach to her summer employment: she decided to work as a nanny for Mike and Julie Rayborn. "The only summer I really have is June because July and August are dedicated to volleyball. This is a good job because it has flexible hours and they live on the beach, so I am still getting the beach feel," said Papajohn.

No matter where you go throughout town this summer, you are sure to run in to many students working their summers away in the hopes to earn some extra cash. From summer camps, to restaurants, internships and even some nannies, Gulf Breeze High School alumni and students are being employed at a local business near you.