Brylee Waterman, a senior at Lakeland High School (LHS) is a great example of how students can balance work and school.
Waterman works at Krispy Kreme in Spokane Valley, Washington which is about a thirty minute drive.
Hired by her aunt, Waterman works for $19 an hour, and works 4-8 pm most days. She spends around $60 on gas in a two week span.
“I don’t mind the drive, except for when it’s raining,” Waterman said.
The minimum wage in Washington is $16.66 while the Idaho minimum wage is $7.25. These pay differences tend to influence students to make the drive for a bigger paycheck. Although, gas money is an important factor as well.
If a person drives 30 minutes to work, they tend to buy more gas than someone would with a 10 minute drive. The question remains, is the drive across the border really worth it?
Waterman feels that her work schedule is efficient and works for her. Other students who have jobs nearby might not get paid as much, but it is easier transportation wise. For example, a student, Jaeden Erk works at a golf course near his house and gets paid $8 an hour.
“I love it, the pay is terrible but I get to drive golf carts” Erk said.
Another student, Teagen Patrick works at Silverwood in Athol for $17.50 an hour. She believes that she gets paid more than the average high school student. It is a 15-20 minute drive but she doesn’t mind.
“The drive there isn’t bad, but sometimes after a long day I wish it was shorter. I think it is worth the pay” Patrick said.