By: Thea Berg and Rose Ramadan

As students in high school getting ready for college, we face many challenges and choices during this time of our lives. Getting good grades, participating in activities, impressing those around us; all examples of only part of the anxiety us students receive.

As we become young adults, as well, it is important for us to learn how to become successful. Part of success is learning how to work in an environment with other people and make money for ourselves to spend on future necessities.

Tying this all together, we will cover job opportunities for those looking for money and a strong learning environment. The jobs below are all located in Minnesota and are specifically for teens.

A Day Camp Counselor at the YMCA is a great way to start a job this summer. Learning to connect with younger children involves much training and social skills and is a great way to learn about patience. They are hiring for $15 an hour this summer as a temporary job. Work days are Monday through Friday.

Another amazing job opportunity would be a Nursing Assistant that includes classes that train. This would look great for anyone who is looking into a medical career job in the future. It is a part-time job with an estimated $29k-37k per year.

A job that may be interesting to work would be a Stand Attendant at Target field. It would be a great opportunity to interact with all types of people as well as learn leadership skills. It is a seasonal job. The starting rate is $15 an hour. Weekend availability is highly praised.

On the note of more of a fun job, there are many job openings at Dogtopia, a doggy daycare. They are looking for attendants who would interact with the dogs, teammates, and customers. This involves many leadership skills as well as social skills. It is a week job, Monday through Friday. The starting rate is $14 an hour. This summer, it is available as a full time position for those looking to make a good amount of money.

Lifeguarding is also a great opportunity that many teens in the 15-and -up age range can enjoy. Around the Highland-St. Paul area there are many different pools that need lifeguarding such as the Highland Pool, the Como Pool, and at swim schools such as Foss. Before becoming a full lifeguard there is a training that you need to do. After the training you can work as a lifeguard or teach swim lessons, or water aerobics.

You could also work as a Teen Specialist at the Boys and Girls Club of the Twin Cities. Some qualifications of this job would be a positive, energetic person who is passionate about discussing the Teen Pathways Program in schools and working with young people. This job requires a lot of working with children and interacting with other people.

Other jobs that you can easily find and start on your own are nannying or babysitting jobs. A lot of families do require you to be CPR certified before becoming their nanny or babysitter, but other than that you can find an employer through family friends or looking online for those in need of a sitter. There are many websites that you can also enroll in to be shown on so families can easily contact you for a sitter, or you can easily contact families to seek out if they need a sitter.

In the end, the jobs above are highly recommended and easy to get for teens. Most are hiring this May which is a great start to the summer for anyone looking to get a job soon.

By: Calla Fragassi

Being a pet owner comes with many benefits, including the fact that they can give their owners better mental and physical health. According to an article from AHA (American Heart Association), dogs can help improve someone’s mental and physical well-being. Dogs have been proven to help lower symptoms of anxiety, increase physical activity, and help with creating structures and routines in a person’s life.

Anxiety Decreases

In times of high stress, like the COVID-19 pandemic, people tend to get bad anxiety. The whole world was shut down, not knowing what was happening next. Millions of people were stuck in their homes for weeks at a time, with no one to go through it with. Many people adopted dogs or other pets during this time to try and get through the rough patches more easily.

“More than 23 million American households — nearly 1 in 5 nationwide — adopted a pet during the pandemic, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).”

Washington Post, January 7, 2022

Having a dog provided companionship for millions of people, which is just what was needed in times of uncertainty. Having someone/ something to ease anxiety is also beneficial for your heart. Having high stress and anxiety levels has been proven to increase risks of heart disease like high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

Staying Active

Another way dogs are beneficial to a person’s well-being is by keeping them active. For a dog to live a long, healthy life, they need to get regular physical activity. This will help increase their owner to become more active by going on daily walks, or just walking around a dog park.

Staying active is also proven to help decrease symptoms of depression. Being able to go outside and get fresh air can lower levels of anxiety and improve the amount of sleep you get. Walking your dog outside also makes it more likely that you would interact with others in your community. This will also help with social anxiety or symptoms of depression.

Structure and Routine

More than any other pet, dogs need a routine to thrive. This includes getting up around the same time every day, walks every day, food, medication, and anything else that suits your dog’s needs. Following a certain routine every day with your dog will make it easier for you to create a routine of your own. As they do with dogs, people thrive when they have a structure in their lives or a daily routine. Having a routine can help lower stress and anxiety levels by being organized, and not disordered.

Dogs are more than just cute pets for many people; they are caring animals that can improve a person’s life. This is also why you see service dogs because they can help their owner when they can’t help themselves. Dogs help improve a person’s mental and physical well-being by being good companions.

By: Jessica Garcia Saligan

Road trips

Something that is fun to do while you’re on spring break is going on a road trip anywhere with your family, friends, or by yourself. It’s a good way to get out and get to know new places, it’s also a fun way to bond more with your family and friends. You jam out to music, have deep talk, you get to think about things to yourself; there are so many things you can do while being on a road trip, just make sure to enjoy it and make special memories.

Cuyuna Trail

If you are a person that enjoys bike riding and nature, Cuyuna Trail is the best place to do all of those activities. You can go during the winter, spring and summer time. During the winter, the mountain’s trails get heavy snow and it works great with a fat tire bike, and in the summer, you can “glamp” in tents.

Something that I like about Cuyuna Trail is that if you want to start biking, or you already know how to, but aren’t prepared to go up the big trails, Cuyuna has beginner, intermediate and advanced trails. The trails are groomed and all vary in distance and difficulty, and if you don’t have a bike, at the entrance they have some bikes set up that you get to rent out for $40 dollars/4 hours. $65 dollars though, will get you a full day of bike riding. To make having adventure a lot easier, there is a cabin a few minutes away from the trails. Cuyuna Trail is the best way to enjoy the outdoors.

Union Rooftop

 Union Rooftop is the best way to spend your spring break if you are looking for an aesthetic place to eat out with friends, or with a loved one. Union Rooftop is a glass-enclosed rooftop space with a spacious bar and skyline views. They have amazing food and deserts options. It’s a great way to spend your evening with your loved ones.

By: Maya Breininger

When you think of teenagers, if you’re reminded of moody homebodies who prefer to spend their day inside, you wouldn’t be wrong. Many teens today find it a struggle to stay active considering their busy school schedules, their after school activities, and their yearning for sleep.

Although it seems as though teens will never have time to incorporate physical activity into their daily schedule, I have composed a list of alternative exercises that are easy to complete, and fun ways to get your blood pumping.

Firstly, it is imperative to understand – what is the importance of exercise in teens specifically? How does it affect them? Why is it important to incorporate it into the daily routine of a teen?

Well, encouraging healthy and active lifestyles at a young age promotes the same behavior as an adult. A busy schedule is something that will persist even in adulthood, so for teens to find the ability to incorporate exercise into their day will be a helpful life skill to have.

Another positive aspect of daily exercise for teenagers, is that 60 minutes of raised heart rates have been scientifically tested to improve moods and mental state, prevent serious conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and diabetes.

Some ways to enforce these healthy habits with busy schedules can include joining an after school sport, such as hockey, swimming, skiing, soccer, gymnastics, dancing, basketball, or any high activity sport that gets your blood pumping. School sports are easy to apply to, they’re fun activities to engage in with your friends, and they’re fun clubs that can fit in within your schedule and improve chances of scholarships for college.

Along with the reasons I have already provided on why to be active as a teen, it also prevents bone loss, boosts energy levels, helps with your ability to fall asleep, helps manage stress, and fights anxiety and depression. As said, it is in a teenager’s best interest to get moving! Put down the electronics and head to your local gym! The results will be incredible!

By: Biftu Osman

Because Minnesotans are known for their cold weather, snow storms and unsafe weather conditions are not uncommon for us. For staff and students at schools, this means snow days could be a common event. Due to this, some people might find themselves questioning what to do out of boredom. I’ve chosen to compile a list of enjoyable and entertaining activities to do during a snow day to help minimize the boredom. 

First on my list is to play a board game/puzzle. Board games are a great and fun bonding activity to do with family or friends. It’s also an indoor pastime so you won’t even need to leave the comfort of your house. You can include a prize for the game’s winner to raise the stakes and make it more competitive. Some of my personal favorite board games include: Apples to Apples, Monopoly, and Candyland. 

Baking is the next activity you could do on my list. It is also a simple indoor activity that won’t take up too much of your time. You could make that new dish you’ve been wanting to try or even just celebrate the snow by making a winter-themed dish. My favorite baking challenge is coming up with new variations to a perfectly fine chocolate chip cookie recipe while also aiming to create the greatest recipe possible. One example would be to increase the amount of butter in the recipe to see whether it makes it more soft. 

My last activity for the best ways to spend a snow day is to shovel. This outdoor activity would be a considerate approach to support your parents and possibly your neighbors. It’s labor-intensive and a wonderful way to exercise, shoveling also has the added benefit of being beneficial.