Features

First year of high school provides challenges, lessons for freshmen

by Liddia Waterbury

Freshman Eden Stewart sits down at the lunch table. She puts her belongings and lunch box down, then proceeds to take her food out of the box. While eating her food, she takes out her computer. She starts working on homework or missing assignments while eating.

“Honestly, I don’t know. I usually prioritize finishing easier work in classes and taking more time to complete my harder work. This means doing work during lunch, advanced band, Spanish, and any other time I can. It’s really hard to do homework at home with all my band activities, but I usually manage my time well,” said Stewart.

High school can feel overwhelming at first, but freshmen learn how to adapt and succeed. Their experiences reveal why the lessons they learn in their first year truly matter.

For many freshmen, the transition to high school comes with challenges, but it also leads to growth. Stewart shares how they adjusted to this new environment and why it will help them to succeed.

“It was really hard. High school was really difficult to get into the flow with, especially because of my constantly full schedule between marching band, winter percussion, and all advanced classes. I’m still adjusting to it, and I know that with all the struggles this year, it will be easier next year. I will be able to have fun without a lot of stress,” said Stewart.

Although the transition can be difficult for many students, teachers support freshmen by making it easier and less overwhelming.

Math teacher Alyssa Jones helps freshman student Onah Barns with work during class on April 9. “To support freshmen, I listen to their problems and help with anything they need. Just caring about them and giving them extra time if they need it,” said Jones. Photo by Liddia Waterbury.

“It’s important to help freshmen adjust to high school because when you’re in middle school, you’re not really used to switching classes. Then, if you fail a class in high school, you have to retake it, and they’re not used to that either. To support freshmen, I listen to their problems and help with anything they need. Just caring about them and giving them extra time if they need it. Especially because you can get really behind on school work from seven classes if you don’t have that support,” said math teacher Alyssa Jones.

Support isn’t only about helping students adjust. It’s also about motivating them when they feel overwhelmed. Teachers play a crucial role in helping freshmen stay focused and confident during stressful times.

“If their lack of motivation is because they’re overwhelmed, then what I try to do is make it more manageable. I help them look at their grades in class and in other classes. I help them pick the most important grades and push to make sure they stay focused on them. They are the assignments that are going to help their grades the most. If they can just narrow their focus to one thing at a time, and get that done, they can make progress,” said English teacher Holden Henderson.

This shows how teachers help students feel less stressed by breaking work into smaller steps. While that support is important, students also need to find other ways to get motivated on their own.

“How I usually stay motivated is when I think about graduation. I usually end up thinking about how, like, if I don’t finish this, I won’t be able to succeed. I also stay motivated by thinking about how I want to make my family proud with good grades. This influences my hobbies and stuff because after putting in that much effort, they feel more relaxing. I look forward to doing my hobbies and other things,” said freshman Onah Barns.

Students motivate themselves through their own goals. At the same time, teachers can strengthen that motivation by building supportive relationships with their students.

“I just try to be myself, be relatable, and share my interests. I know that my interests overlap with a lot of yours. I feel a little bit more in touch with social media and modern media than other teachers. I just try to be relatable and make sure students know that I care about them as people and not just the numbers in my grade book,” said Henderson.

“It’s really important to have a good relationship with a teacher because you’re more likely to pay attention to what they say. If you don’t have a good relationship, you’re more likely to tune them out and do the bare minimum and not learn what they teach you,” said Henderson.

Strong relationships with teachers can impact how much students engage in class. When students feel comfortable, they are more likely to listen, learn, and reach out for help when they need it.

“To ask for help with school, I raise my hand, go up to the teacher, and ask questions. I know that they are here to help me and help me succeed. When I ask the teacher about work, they help me to understand it better. This also gets rid of a lot of stress when the material is important and I don’t know how to do it,” said freshman Madisyn Maratty.

Asking for help is important, and it also shows something bigger. Teachers are there to guide students and support them when they struggle, making help a key part of their role.

“Remember, there are so many trusted adults in this building who want to help you succeed, so find one and develop a relationship with them. Talk to your teachers about topics or things you may be struggling with. They are here to help you and truly appreciate hearing from you over hearing from a guardian or another adult.”
Freshman Counselor Andrea Schedler

“Remember, there are so many trusted adults in this building who want to help you succeed, so find one and develop a relationship with them. Talk to your teachers about topics or things you may be struggling with. They are here to help you and truly appreciate hearing from you over hearing from a guardian or another adult,” said freshman counselor Andrea Schedler.

Support from adults doesn’t stop at just being available when students ask for help. Teachers also take an active role in guiding freshmen, helping them build skills and habits they’ll need to succeed throughout the rest of high school.

“I make sure freshmen understand what is expected, that there’s certain behaviors that are not acceptable. I make sure that they know that teachers have deadlines to get work done. At first I try to push and guide them, then I get stricter, if they are still lacking in maturity,” said biology teacher Joe Somerville.

The freshman experience includes challenges, growth, and support. Students build habits and maturity while teachers continue to guide and push them towards success.

22 Apr 2026 by jhshyphen

Freshmen share tips for succeeding in the first year of high school

by Kaylee Borelli

The school year coming to an end, and throughout the year, freshmen have learned to adapt to the new environment of high school.

Teachers and counselors at have noticed how this year’s freshmen adjusted to the rigors of high school and how they’ve grown over the school year.

“Some of this year’s freshmen have adjusted well to the rigors of high school. I have witnessed growth in attendance, getting to class on time, balancing the workload of seven classes, becoming more confident in themselves, and learning how to handle conflict and minor issues on their own,” said freshman counselor Andrea Schedler. “I have also witnessed a lot of students grow in their involvement in athletics and extracurricular activities.”

Adjusting to the challenges of high school does not always happen easily, though.

“Overall, as a freshman class, they haven’t adjusted very well to high school,” said freshman college and career teacher John Moody. “Some have figured out how to live outside of middle school and have been mature, while others have been immature and are still stuck in middle school.”

Moody shared some tips on how future freshmen can prepare themselves for high school and adjust to the rigor of JHS.

“What you’re going to experience here is going to be much different. You’re going to be expected to meet deadlines. You’re going to be expected to work on things you don’t know, and you’ll have to ask questions,” said Moody. “You just need to be as prepared as you can be. Make sure things are turned in on time because some teachers won’t even accept late work. Also, don’t fall behind because if you don’t fall behind, you won’t have to worry about catching up.”

Freshmen Cherish Brown, Lauren Beck, and Arianna Black work on a Coca-Cola group project in Michael Moody’s college and careers class. Photo by Kaylee Borelli.

This year’s ninth graders have also detailed some advice for incoming students next year.

“I would definitely just be yourself so you can find more people that are like you,” said freshman Donnie Muncy. “I feel like that’s a big part of it, being around people like you helps you be yourself and be happy. But overall, just being around people like yourself will make your overall high school experience better.”

Similarly to Muncy, freshman Sophie Ellis also detailed a way to make friends as a freshman.

“Go to all the events, even if you don’t think they’re going to be fun,” said Ellis. “It’s a great way to make friends and bond, and you get to see the school community.”

In addition to the students sharing their tips, some freshmen shared how they succeeded in their first year of high school.

“This year, I never let my work slip and was able to turn in my work on time,” said freshman Katie Higdon. “I just made sure I didn’t procrastinate and got my work done before the due date, so I wasn’t stressed the day before an assignment was due.”

Freshman Kaden Eurton said organization made school less stressful.

“Instead of stressing over my work, I would stay organized and balance my work and free time so I never fell behind,” said Eurton. “I would say as long as someone stays organized and stays up-to-date with work, high school will be more enjoyable and not as stressful.”

Regular attendance is another suggestion that freshmen shared with their peers.

“You really can’t miss much school because of how much work there is,” detailed freshman Parker Vibbert. “It takes a while to get caught up, but as long as you have good attendance, school will be much easier.”

21 Apr 2026 by jhshyphen

Anchor Club seeking applicants for next school year

by Areli Hernandez

Anchor Club is excited to announce its upcoming 2026-27 season. Applications are now open for interested students and officially close May 6. Click on the QR code for more information or contact Anchor Club sponsors for any questions.

Anchor Club sponsors:

Michell Densford- mdensford@gccschools.com

Chloe Merkle- cmerkle@gccschools.com

Francesca Hernandez- fhernandez@gccschools.com

Judy Brooner- jbrooner@gccschools.com

17 Apr 2026 by jhshyphen

Red Devils make memories at Saturday’s annual prom

Photos by Magdalene Conrad and Malachi Conrad. Click on each image below to view photographs in gallery.

Prom attendees grab from the selection of food set up by the workers hosting the event. Photos by Malachi Conrad.

15 Apr 202615 Apr 2026 by jhshyphen

High caffeine energy drinks linked to negative health effects

by Jackson Anderson

While energy drinks have been popular among students, side effects have been a concern for teachers, nurses, and parents.

The popularity of high caffeine and sugar drinks worries many parents and teachers, including nursing assistant Donna Poole, who described the side effects she sees working in the JHS health office.

“All of these things can be side effects — high blood pressure, mental health. You can have anxiety, irritability, restlessness — all of those things can be affected by too much caffeine,” she said.

Poole said these side effects can be activated by consuming energy drinks on a daily basis. This excessive amounts build up a negative dependency in human systems.

“If you drink them on a daily basis, you are building up a dependency. So then if you don’t have them, like I said, you’re going to get side effects — headaches, not feel good. You’re going to be lethargic,” she said.

Abusing the consumption of these drinks can highly affect children’s growth, restricting bone acquisition and causing hormonal imbalances due to the high caffeine and sugar levels that energy drinks carry.

“It’s better if you can just not get to that situation, where you are dependent. Everyone has to make their own decisions about that; we just need to be educated on what it’s doing to us,” said Poole.

The American Academy of Pediatrics warns these drinks can be harmful and addictive, increasing the risk of excess weight gain, cavities, heart disease, diabetes and fatty liver disease.

These energy drink companies just market their products as fun drinks with bright colors with trendy styles and formats, designed specifically to attract teenagers, according to The Guardian. Poole described these advertising techniques as a negative way to hook teenagers.

“They package them to target kids; they make them look good. They make you want them, so I mean it’s just that we need some healthier alternatives.”

Sophomore Makenzi Middleton said she drinks energy drinks, listing a variety of flavors, and described how the brand Alani listens to their consumers.

“One reason why I really like that brand is because they listen to people’s ideas a lot, like people will talk about ideas they like, and then you might see it coming out. Like the cotton candy energy drinks were limited, and people wanted them back, so they brought them back, as well as two other flavors,” she said.

The company Alani creates new flavors based on consumer recommendations. However, Poole finds even these tactics to be a problem — “tricking teens” to buy their product that is advertised to be positive and give a “quick boost of energy,” but still doing damage.

“I just hate to see the damage that’s being done by energy drinks. Personally, I don’t think kids should be allowed to buy them, but they’re going to get them anyway. I mean that’s how kids are, we always find a way, doesn’t matter if you’re supposed to or not,” she said.

Poole explained that educators and health officials still make it known that energy drinks carry dangers and the effects that they can cause, especially to young audiences.

“You live and learn. I do know everybody here is concerned and knows the dangers, the teachers and the staff know the dangers for kids,” she said.

There is no federal legal age requirement for teens to purchase energy drinks in the United States. While no national law exists, both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) recommend that adolescents from ages 12-18 limit their caffeine consumption to 100 milligrams per day.

These drinks hold a dangerous level of caffeine, all the way up to 200-plus milligrams. For comparison, the average cup of coffee is 80-120 milligrams. That’s about less than half the usual energy drink

It is highly recommended for consumers to drink one a day maximum, considering the average intake of caffeine in a day should be around 100 milligrams, which is far less than many cans hold.

AP biology teacher Melissa Brewer supported limiting caffeine, saying, “You’re not supposed to have that much caffeine maybe in a whole day, but I see kids drinking two or three of those a day.”

Coffee may be better slightly statistically than an energy drink, but Brewer said teens must be wise with the amount and consistency they drink to avoid addiction.

Poole agreed. “I like my coffee a lot, but your brains are still developing, so it affects you all more. A lot of these kids, they drink so much of it, they really feel the effects of it, so I mean everybody has to use their own everything in moderation.”

For senior Natalie Hollins energy drinks are something she can control on a daily basis.

“I consume energy drinks because they give me a boost through days that I’m tired or having a bad day, but I don’t drink them as often as I used to, so l’d say maybe twice a week.”

Freshman Dakota Jent drinks an Ultra Blue Hawaiian Monster energy drink, which is a zero-sugar, low-calorie energy drink containing 150 milligrams of caffeine. Photo by Mackenzie Stubblefield.

While some teens control their energy drink intake, others avoid the drinks altogether.

Sophomore Ethan Jenkins said, “I don’t consume energy drinks because it can ruin your sleep schedule, it’s unhealthy and for some even unsafe for your heart and blood sugar levels. I wouldn’t try one — it seems too dangerous and not worth it at all.”

Sophomore Dana Romero Regalado said she has noticed these side effects, too.

“At times, I have experienced side effects such as feeling jittery, an increased heart rate, and difficulty falling asleep if consumed later in the day.”

At the end of the day, research links energy drinks and caffeine to negative health effects, which is why JHS does not sell them at lunch and stocks vending machines with lower calorie drinks that are all zero sugar.

3 Apr 202616 Apr 2026 by jhshyphen

Spring Break Photo Gallery

All photos by Shelby Keesee. Click on each image below to view.

24 Mar 2026 by jhshyphen

Annual showcase allows students to share highlight their cultures

JHS students participated in the annual Multicultural Showcase on Thursday, March 12, sharing their cultures through presentations, dance, food, and dress with their fellow students and staff in the auxiliary gym.

Click on each photo in the gallery below.

A proud group of dancers performs a traditional Honduran dance. Photo by Areli Hernandez.

24 Mar 2026 by jhshyphen

Senior Litzy Rubio leads while appreciating friendships

by Aubrey Cummings

2026 Lilly Endowment Scholarship winner, senior Lizty Rubio, is a significant part of JHS and her community beyond Jeff. She is an active member of the swim team, the Anchor Club, the National Honor Society, and represents the school as a student ambassador.

“Litzy is a compassionate, strong, and dependable person. Because she’s in such high classes and she works for so much of what she has, and her leadership positions just show how dependable she can be, and for each of those, she has to be very compassionate,” stated junior Macyn Jackson.

Rubio is known as a leader in everything she does. In her junior year, she served as the co-president of the Student Council, along with representing the Senior Class as vice president this year.

“I feel like being involved in the school allows me to be better prepared for my future. I used to be shy and kept to myself, but my sports and clubs have allowed me to expand on everything,” explained Rubio.

Senior Litzy Rubio displays leadership and friendship in a number of JHS activities, including the swim team. Submitted photo.

Being a student-athlete can make or break a person. They have to have a strong will and determination to succeed, along with balancing the aspects of school, sports, and life in general. But it can also lead to so much more than just medals and trophies.

“Some of my best memories and friendships have come alongside the sports I have done,” said Rubio. “The people are like a second family to me; we wake up early in the morning for practice and leave late at night from meets. I am with them all the time, even during the holidays.”

These friendships could last a lifetime.

“Litzy truly is someone I look up to. She sets an example for everyone, showing that if you really want to do something, you can,” senior Mari Bush explained.

Rubio plans to potentially attend Purdue University to pursue her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and possibly earn her master’s degree in architecture to become an architectural engineer.

11 Mar 2026 by jhshyphen

Extracurricular activities benefit students in a variety of ways

by Breslyn Dozal

Extracurricular activities offer students crucial lessons in teamwork, discipline, leadership, and resilience, helping develop skills outside of just academics.

High school is full of opportunities. Some of those opportunities are extracurricular activities. Most extracurricular activities are after-school activities, but in some cases they can go on during school.

Many students have found that extracurricular activities build up their confidence and decrease social anxiety. They build up many skills such as communication, problem-solving, and adaptability. Extracurricular activities can be sports or clubs.

“Confidence, it helped me through soccer and it made me a better player,” said freshman Jacqueline Escobar, who plays club soccer, not related to school. She added that playing a sport outside of school has helped her with time management with her school work by having to balance practices, games and school work simultaneously.

Senior Kendall Curry agreed that participating in extracurricular events has helped her find balance with not only clubs and school work, but also with working at her job. In all these areas, Curry said that she was around diverse groups of people. Because of this, she learned how to work among a variety of individuals from different backgrounds as hers.

By participating in extracurricular activities, students can also gain insight into fields of interest they may want to pursue in the future.

Curry learned from being a football manager that she will likely pursue a career working in sports.

Freshman Alayla Hickerson learned by being in band that she would like to continue it in college and maybe as a career.

Special life skills can be derived from participation in extra curricular activities as well.

Freshman Eva Harbeson appreciates the marksmanship skills she has learned in JROTC. She said that she likely won’t use those skills in a future career, but she is glad she can protect herself for knowing them now.

Curry, Hickerson, Escobar and Harbeson all described common lessons they learned from participating in extracurricular activities: they gained confidence, time management skills, and the willingness to try new things.

All of these skills are useful in future goals outside of high school, proving how beneficial extracurricular activities can be.

6 Mar 2026 by jhshyphen

Science teacher Matthew Bramer reflects on the year that changed everything

by Kori Washington

Chemistry and physics teacher Matthew Bramer made a major life change when he left the tech world to become a teacher at Jeff High.

“My previous work was IT work, and it was fun, but it didn’t feel like it had a big impact,” said Bramer, who worked in technology at Mercer Transportation.

ICP teacher Matthew Bramer goes over student slides and corrects them to put it in a grade. Bramer is happy that the student had finished the work. ”I love being a teacher; I can show them a easy way to do things,” he said. Photo by Kayleen Alvarado.

After reflecting on his time in the tech industry, Bramer realized that while he enjoyed his work in IT, he didn’t feel like he had a deeper purpose. This made him want to change his career to something where he could positively impact others’ lives and make them feel like they have a purpose, too.

“I wanted to be a teacher so that I could impact the lives of the students,” said Bramer.

Although Bramer thought he would only impact the lives of students in class, he has also impacted them outside of the classroom as well.

“I like how he’s very patient with the students and also listens to my drama,” said freshman Ariana Smith.

“Patient” and “kindness” are some of the many words that students and staff would use to describe him.

“He’s kind. He definitely is one of the kindest people I’ve met. He doesn’t get stressed out by the situations that every day of teaching can give you. He’s able to keep it cool,” said science teacher James Huffman, who has been teaching for 10 years.

“He’s so enthusiastic and happy all the time. Oh, my gosh. Always has a smile so kind. It’s a really good guy,” said science teacher Hope Rector, who has been teaching for 19 years.

While Bramer is known for his kindness and patience, his first year of teaching has also come with challenges and rewarding moments.

“Classroom management has been pretty hard. And that’s just managing all of the personalities,” said Bramer.

But despite having a lot of personalities in one classroom, Bramer enjoys getting to know all the students and also getting to see them understand what he’s teaching.

“I think seeing the students get it and understand the curriculum was really nice, and it was also really nice to have a lot of students come up to my desk and hang.”

These rewarding moments are one of the many positives that keep Bramer motivated to keep teaching. But one of the most important aspects that has kept him moving forward is the help from his fellow staff members.

Graphic by Kori Washington.

“Ms. Rector and Mr. Huffman have been very helpful,” said Bramer.

Huffman and Ms. Rector’s advice have played a role in Bramer’s growth as a teacher since the start of the year.

“I think when you walk in, like as a teacher, and you have like over 30 kids staring at you, it’s overwhelming for sure. But I’ve seen him grow in his confidence,” said Rector.

“He’s gone from being nervous to and kind of using me and Miss Rector and other teachers that are veteran teachers as helpers; he’s almost doing most of it on his own. He’s asking us for some, like help every once in a while, but he has gotten to the point where he’s creating things and sending them to us,” said Huffman.

After experiencing the challenges of his first year and growing with the help of his mentors Bramer has learned valuable lessons he would like to share with otherothe first year teachers:

“I set aside time for grading, cause coming in, I was like, ‘yeah, I’m gonna grade.’ And then I actually have to grade. And it’s like, ‘oh my gosh.”

25 Feb 202625 Feb 2026 by jhshyphen

Junior author Jeremy Baker publishes his own faith-based books

by Shelby Keesee

Recently, a book titled Living for God was published by JHS student author Jeremy Baker, a junior. The book’s inspiration came from Baker’s own reflection and experiences and discusses daily faith and intentional living.

Baker has published two books, A Heart for God and Living for God on Amazon. Both books provide guidance and acceptance through God. A Heart for God, Baker’s first book, originates from a time where Baker realized he wanted God to be part of his life. This experience later developed into the book’s cover and overall concept.

“I have experience in journaling a lot, especially about situations, struggles, lessons and conversations I had with God,” said Baker. “What started it all was I had an image in mind of a torch with a blazing flame; then I thought about a heart – my own heart, and it made me think about having a burning desire for God in your heart.”

A Heart for God rewarded Baker with personal growth, reflection, and an idea for Living for God, Baker’s recent book.

“From there, I started growing more and more, and there was a time when I was reflecting on what I’ve been doing and how much I changed, and how much I was wanting to live for God, which became the idea for my second book, Living for God,” he said.

Baker summarized both of his works, offering insight for anyone interested in his books”

A Heart for God

“A Heart for God is a guide for anyone who feels lost, feels emptiness in their heart, or is spiritually distant and wants something that’s real. This book guides the readers through recognizing the emptiness they have, to understanding purpose, overcoming struggles like temptations and distractions and builds a strong spiritual foundation.”

Living for God

“Living For God is a book that is like, shifting from that desire of the heart for God, to daily action and applying it once you have that heart for Him. The first book focuses on developing the heart; Living for God focuses on living it out.”

The two books contain progression, starting from transformation to applying faith and belief our daily lives.

Junior Jeremy Baker’s two self-published books, *A Heart for God* and *Living for God*. Photo by Shelby Keesee.

Baker said his favorite book was A Heart for God because it was the first book he published, and due to its topics of desire and faith.

Describing his first book as the start for everything, Baker said, “Before you can truly live intentionally or live for God, there has to be a genuine desire in your heart, [and] without that desire, it doesn’t last. It’s also my favorite because it represents the beginning of my journey, which without it I probably would’ve never made the second book, Living For God.”

An experience on the school bus opened a door for Baker to explore his own faith and eventually begin his writing journey.

“What inspired me to write my books started on the bus when school was over. I saw this one girl who was speaking about God and strong foundations; it deeply impacted me a lot and I felt so much peace in the area. It sparked a strong desire in me to pursue God intentionally.”

Baker said this strong desire led him to follow God, which allowed him to write about his experiences and gain another desire: impacting his readers.

“The impact I want to make with my books is helping (young/adults) people feel very purposeful and hopeful, and reminding them that they were placed here intentionally by God,” stated Baker. “I want the readers to recognize that God is present in every moment of their lives, whether they’re happy, angry, or going through something difficult. I want people to think more deeply about their actions, their motives, and the direction of their lives.”

Faith and purpose are both crucial to Baker because he believes in individuality and that each person has his or her own talents and purposes in life.

“This is important to me because I’ve seen how people, especially around my age, get distracted,” he said. “A lot of people live by only the moment without asking, ‘What can I do now that will matter in the future?’ I feel called to speak to my generation about faith in a way that encourages discipline and intentional living. I don’t want people to waste the gifts and the potential that God has given them.”

Both works are recommended by Baker if readers need faith, purpose and direction.

“I would recommend these books to anyone, young and older. Or if anyone feels maybe unsure about their direction in life, or feel distracted. I also want readers to know that faith is about being willing to seek, grow, and live intentionally.”

Canva’s beginner-like tools enabled Baker to design his book covers. Baker has experience in graphic design and recommends Adobe Illustrator for advanced designs.

Baker discovered the Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing platform, which guided him to publishing his books online.

“I researched the Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and watched tutorials on YouTube to understand each step on how I can get my book on Amazon,” said Baker. “I learned about formatting, trim sizes, and cover dimensions. At one point I was hiring someone through Fiverr to fix some errors with my book, but after looking into Amazon’s Cover Creator tool, I was able to fix the errors myself, which is how I was able to publish my second book.”

Not only is Baker a growing author, but he is working in the fashion industry.

“In addition to writing, I’m also at the moment working on a future clothing brand business, working in the fashion industry, which is a long term thing I am committed to doing.”

Additionally, he is committed to publishing a third book, which remains untitled for now, as he is in the “researching stages of working on a third book, taking time to study, reflect and gather everything I need before I fully jump into it.”

Baker said he wishes to reach readers from every religion and inform them about their worth.

“Even for those who may not believe, I do hope my books at least encourage them to recognize that their life has purpose, and that they were placed here for a reason.”

24 Feb 2026 by jhshyphen

Financial stress affects high school students

by Chloe Newton

For many high school students, the day doesn’t end with the last bell. After class, some head to part-time jobs, others to extracurriculars, and many try to balance both, often because of financial pressure. At Jeffersonville High School, students say that money plays a growing role in their daily decisions, from whether they can attend school events to how many hours they work each week.

“I started working to sell smoothies because I wanted to help pay for my own things,” junior Onesty Gipson said, “but once I started. I realized how hard it is to manage schoolwork and a job at the same time.”

According to students, common expenses include gas, clothing, food, phone bills, and saving for college. While some work to cover personal spending, others say their income contributes directly to household expenses.

Sophomore Shane Adkins works around 20 hours a week at a local department store. “I help pay for my clothes, phone bill, and sometimes groceries,” he said. “It’s stressful,l but it feels good paying for my own expenses.”

Teachers have noticed similar patterns as well. French teacher Dana Schenk said students who work longer hours sometimes struggle to keep up academically.

“They’re motivated and responsible, but there are only so many hours in a day.”

Not all students experience financial stress in the same way. Some students say they do not need to work and receive financial support from their families. Sophomore Vivianna Hill said money is not a major concern for her right now.

“I don’t have a job so I can focus more on school and clubs, but I know that’s not everyone’s situation.”

The difference in financial responsibility can affect social life as well. Several students said they skip outings or school events because of cost.

“Sometimes I just say I’m busy; it’s easier than explaining I can’t afford it,” said sophomore Monseratt Gonzalez.

Despite the challenges, some students say working has taught them important skills. Sophomore Lucy Roberts said managing her paycheck has helped her learn budgeting.

“It’s stressful, but it’s also made me more aware of how money works,” she said.

Schenk also encourages students feeling overwhelmed to seek support.

“Whether it’s adjusting work hours, accessing school resources, or just talking it through, students don’t have to handle financial stress alone,” she said.

As students juggle academics, work, and personal responsibilities, financial pressure remains a quiet but significant part of high school life, and it is something that will always affect students differently depending on their circumstances.

24 Feb 2026 by jhshyphen