Summer break: the time of year every Bishop’s student looks forward to from the first day of school, and a time to catch up on something that somehow vanished for the whole school year — relaxation.
While hanging out at the beach and sleeping (more than usual) were musts this past summer break, many upper school students spent the summer developing themselves personally and academically. Through working summer jobs at places like the San Diego County Fair, Brick and Bell, and La Jolla Kayak, or conducting detailed experiments at research internships, students gained valuable interpersonal skills.
Adelaide Kessler (‘25) spent her summer working the kettle corn booth at the San Diego County Fair. She decided to work there because her friend had done so the year before. The fair, filled with brightly lit neon lights, the chatter of excited families, and the whoosh of thrilling rides, provided a perfect balance between work and relaxation. “The atmosphere of the fair…is really fun and energetic…I still find time to enjoy myself, but it is very useful to give you something to do and keep you productive,” Adelaide said.
However, working at a place buzzing with so many people can be draining. Adelaide described that the hardest part of her job was when it got extremely busy. Although difficult, she added, “I think [summer jobs] provide very valuable real world experience. Interacting with people every day and getting a feel for what it’s like to work with customers enables you to have a lot more empathy towards other everyday workers you encounter.”
One neighborhood away, Lotte Lightner (‘26) spent her summer at the cozy cafe of Brick and Bell, working alongside the hum of coffee machines, the murmur of conversation, and gentle background music. Lotte explained that the job had various parts to it, including taking orders at the register, serving drinks and pastries to the customers, cleaning, and restocking ingredients.
Despite being a completely different environment from the fair, Lotte learned the same valuable lessons, such as interacting with customers. “Whether they come to get a coffee and a scone every day or they are visiting from across the country… it taught me several skills that are useful and great to know for future employment and everyday life,” Lotte said.
While customer interactions are exciting, Lotte described how they can also be challenging. She said, “The hardest part is making sure that all the customers are happy and satisfied with their orders, specifically at the busiest times of the day when it is easiest to make a small order mistake.”
Madeline Luscomb (‘25), who worked at La Jolla Kayak, agreed with Lotte’s perspective. She explained that dealing with angry customers was one of the hardest parts of her job, and oftentimes customers got angry over things that were completely out of her control.
“I’ve had customers come in angry about not getting on an earlier kayak tour. Also, there have been many phone calls where people had an attitude about the availability of certain tour times,” she described. However, Maddie explained that this has taught her customer service skills and helped her learn about the real world.
Maddie concluded that her job “has really taught me a lot about being a hard worker and having skills that you will eventually need for a career. Summer jobs are really great and are a good opportunity to meet a lot of good people and be in a fun environment.”
But, jobs were not the only way students chose to gain some experience over the summer. With internships, students not only grew as individuals but also as students. Selene Wang (‘25) interned at the Badran Lab at the Scripps Research Institute, one of the world’s leading research institutions in biochemistry and molecular biology.
Selene explained, “I get to learn new things every day, whether it be experimental techniques or the science behind what I am doing. As long as you have the time for it, getting an internship, regardless of what setting or area it is in, is a really great opportunity to learn and even figure out your future career path.”
Though in an academic environment, Selene’s time in the lab also helped her develop interpersonal skills. “At the start of my internship, I had to learn my way around the lab, which required me to communicate well with my mentor and with the other researchers….I have learned about a more professional style of communication that is used in the workplace.”
Whether it be through talking to customers or exploring a new career path, taking on a summer job or internship can be time-consuming. However, they can cultivate skills students can carry with them for the rest of their lives.
