Flip flops clacking through the hallways while lunches outside resemble a mosh pit more than a parking lot can only mean one thing: summer is almost here.
As final exams approach and temperatures rise, students are preparing for summer jobs filled with lifeguarding shifts, landscaping jobs, international travel, and service work.
For sophomore Grey Burnheter, summer means returning to the pool deck as a lifeguard at Swarthmore Swim Club.
“I would say just try and work at a pool [over the summer],” Burnheter said. “It’s a really fun job, especially if your friends work there too.”
Although many students imagine lifeguarding as simply sitting in a chair all day, Burnheter says the job requires far more preparation than most people expect.
“People don’t realize that there’s a lot more training in it than you would think,” Burnheter said. “The class I took was like six hours one day, and then six hours the next two days too.”
Junior Kasey O’Sullivan will also spend much of her summer lifeguarding at Swarthmore Swim Club and visiting Stone Harbor with her family.
Having attended the pool since childhood, O’Sullivan said becoming a lifeguard felt natural.
“I just kind of was always interested in being a part of that community,” O’Sullivan said. “It felt like lifeguarding was what I was meant to do over the summer.”
Beyond monitoring swimmers, O’Sullivan says that the friendships at the pool are what keep her coming back each summer.
“We have this cringy saying at the pool that we’re like a family,” O’Sullivan said. “It’s cheesy, but I think that the environment and the people make the place, because I can say for sure that I would not be as interested in working there again if it wasn’t those same types of people who are always friendly and make me laugh and we have a lot of fun together.”
While some students are spending the summer working, others are preparing for escapes that take them thousands of miles away.
Junior Georgia Graham will travel to Tanzania and Zanzibar this summer through the program MoonDance Adventures, a travel company designed specifically for teenagers.
“We’re scuba diving, spending a week and a half on safari, and then the other time we are going to be on the Indian Ocean, and we’re going to a baby elephant sanctuary,” Graham said. “We’re kind of just immersing ourselves in the culture.”
Graham has previously traveled through the program to Wyoming, Ecuador, the Galápagos, and Croatia.
Along with traveling internationally, Graham said one of the most meaningful parts of the experience is disconnecting from social media and daily stress.
“You’re able to go two weeks without your phone and not even worry about what’s happening or what party everyone’s at,” Graham said. “Meeting all these new people and kind of cleansing yourself from social media is really important for your growth, especially in high school.”
For Graham, the trip holds a greater meaning than just a getaway.
“I think it’s important because you get a completely different view on life,” Graham said. “You realize how lucky you are to be able to do these things and meet new people.”
Sophomore Cal Winder will also travel internationally this summer, heading to Bali, Indonesia, through the National Leadership Council, a leadership program focused on service and growth.
During the trip, Winder will participate in marine conservation projects focused on endangered sea turtles and beach cleanup efforts.
“It’s going to be something that’s not close to anything I’ve experienced before,” Winder said. “We’ve learned a lot about the cultural norms there and things that are acceptable and things that aren’t, and that’s already very interesting to me.”
“You learn how to act in different situations,” Winder said. “It helps you be more respectful and learn how to treat people with the same respect that you would if they were from where you live.”
Not every student’s summer plans involve passports and long flights. Freshman Javier Celebre hopes to return to landscaping work this summer to earn extra spending money.
“I just did it a little bit last summer, and I was hoping to do it again just to save up some money,” Celebre said.
Whether students are spending their summer at the pool, on the job, or halfway across the world, many are looking forward to a season filled with new experiences and memories.
