Sophomore Brooke Thomas really enjoys her jobs working at Tuckahoe Recreation Club. Thomas is a lifeguard, and a swim coach.

“I really enjoy working with younger kids to help improve their swimming abilities,” Sophomore Brooke Thomas said.

Thomas goes to the pool after school three days a week to give swim lessons.

“One of the hardest parts of my job as a swim coach during covid has been following the guidelines because usually you have to teach kids by moving them and having to wear a mask in the water has been very difficult for me,” Thomas said.

Covid has had it’s up and downs, but working during it hasn’t been one of them for sophomore Brook Thomas.

“Covid has helped me make bonds with other kids in ways that I wouldn’t have and I have gained skills that I can use for the rest of my life,” Thomas said.

Some people have really been struggling to make money over the pandemic for all sorts of reasons.

“Trying to get clients and find opportunities at the pool has been a struggle because of the limited space and time at the club,” Thomas said.

Sophomore Jacques Khoriaty is another McLean Highlander that works at a pool as a lifeguard. Khoriaty is a lifeguard that works at Chesterbrook Swim and Tennis.

“I really enjoy my job as a lifeguard and spending time at the pool, making money,” Khoriaty said.

Over the pandemic, pools have been closed, so they haven’t been very crowded. Being a lifeguard during this time can be tricky for new hires because they haven’t been as needed due to the lack of pool attendance. But they also face other pandemic-related issues.

“I find it really hard to wear a mask while being a lifeguard because we’re supposed to go into the pool with a mask if we need to make a save or for whatever reason,” said Khoriaty.

Since the Centers for Disease Control unveiled its liberal mask mandate allowing fully vaccinated people to not wear a mask, it has been very hard to distinguish who has been vaccinated and who has not.

“The biggest struggle I have had as a lifeguard has been gaining people’s trust in both me not wearing a mask and other people no longer wearing masks,” Khoriaty said.

Sophomore Max Blacksten is an Umpire at McLean Little League. As well as umpiring, Blacksten helps out part time at an assisted living home.

“I really enjoy [my umpire job and] I also work part time at an assisted living home where I run activities with the residents,” Blacksten said.

While some people have been staying inside, sophomore Max Blacksten has been trying to capitalize as much as he can on his money making.

“Other umpires have been taking less games due to Covid, so I have had the opportunity to work more and make more money,” Blacksten said.

Some people haven’t adapted well relating to the pademic, so being someone that enforces rules like social distancing can be tricky.

“I think the worst thing was that I had to adapt to new Covid rules, and I had to teach coaches about the new rules as we went along, because everything was changing so quickly and not all coaches agreed with these changes,” Blacksten said.

Sophomore Emily DeLaVega has been working at McLean Hardware.

Lots of people have been staying home as a result of the pandemic, so there has been a high demand for common household items that need adjustments or repairs.

“I don’t necessarily like my job, but I do enjoy making money,” DeLaVega said.

Due to the high demand of common household items there has been a large amount of customers coming in needing products that the store sells

“Worst thing has probably been customers who refuse to wear masks in the store or are rude because of politically controversial Covid rules,” DeLaVega said.