Between classes, sports, and club meetings, Green Level students have taken up unique side hustles. Students are looking to add another extracurricular to their plate, but these activities focus on making a little money. From nannying four kids to creating a small business, here’s a look into how these overachieving high schoolers have turned their skills into something more.
Turning Playtime Into Paytime
Who wouldn’t want to spend time with kids and get paid for it? For junior Anu Lal, nannying has become the perfect mix of responsibility and fun. Lal has always loved taking care of kids, saying it’s in her blood.
“My mom was a preschool teacher, so it’s just in our family. My mom loves kids, I love kids.” Said Lal.
`Lal takes care of a 6-year-old girl, 3-year-old twins, and, as of recently, a newborn baby. With so much on her hands, the most important aspect of nannying is safety. When you have so many kids in your care, it takes confidence and maturity.
“Standing your ground is important because if I say to not do something and they continue to do it and they know I’m not going to get too mad at them, they are going to keep pushing for it,” said Lal. “So standing your ground and letting them know when they can’t do something, just for their safety.”
While nannying can be a time commitment, Lal finds it to be accommodating to her busy schedule. She is able to care for the kids around her, with many to-dos and extracurricular activities as a high schooler.
“I thought it was a good way to make money where it’s not 6-hour-long shifts,” said Lal. “I can stay for a couple of hours, and it’s more flexible because I’m a busy high school student.”
For those who specialize in patience and responsibility, nannying is the perfect side hustle. It offers a flexible schedule, an opportunity to make life-long connections with a family, and a way to make money while still having fun.
The Student Turned Teacher
Another student who used her personal strengths to her advantage is Naga Sarayu, a junior at Green Level. Sarayu put her keen math skills to use by tutoring students of all ages. She has taught from toddlers who are just learning to count to pre-calculus students. Tutoring has a dual benefit for Sarayu because she is also able to teach herself the topics as she teaches her customers.
“While tutoring, not only am I teaching other people, but I am improving myself, remembering things that I probably forgot or learning more tricks and different ways of showing it that I improve myself,” Sarayu said.
Tutoring takes a special skill set. Not only must you know sufficient information about the subject you will teach, but you also need unique social skills. Sarayu explains how tutoring has helped her to develop communication skills, especially when she tutors young kids.
“Especially for younger kids, the challenge is getting them to focus because they don’t want to do math,” said Sarayu. “Getting them to be engaged, being funny, talking to them, that’s the hardest part.”
Nevertheless, helping a student improve in math is incredibly fulfilling. Sarayu explains how proud she is when the student has that amazing “aha” moment. She finds it gratifying to watch a student progress from square one to confidently facing the big test.
“It’s a really rewarding experience,” said Sarayu. “After I get out of work, I feel good about what I just did that day.”
Turning Talent Into a Small Business
When one set of nails inspired her to try the craft herself, junior Reva Leekha turned her art into a full-blown small business. After practicing on her sister, she realized she could offer the same designs people wanted, but without the high salon prices.
“I’ve noticed that a lot of people would complain about nail prices, and I was able to fulfill their needs, but I didn’t charge as much as salons,” Leekha said.
Leekha started by doing her friends’ nails, but before she knew it, word of mouth brought her numerous customers. Leekha set up an Instagram account and had a steady stream of DMs asking her to do their nails.
Doing nails is time-consuming, not to mention the time it took Leekha to learn the best techniques. But other challenges that Leekha encountered were maintaining safety and settling prices.
“I do pricing based on how much time it takes me to do the nails, the design of the nails, the length, and how much experience I have, so my prices have increased. And also relative to what salons are charging around me.” Said Leekha.
Leekha has grown what started as a hobby to a successful and popular small business, inspiring others who are interested in starting their own small business. To those, Leekha offers some advice.
“I would say use social media, Instagram or TikTok, because making content really helps you reach an audience.”
Making Calls and Making Money
For sophomore Kaitlyn Steward, finding a job at a young age meant getting a little creative. Steward, who is still 15, knows that the majority of traditional jobs don’t hire until age 16. So her strategy was to pursue what she does best, her sport, soccer. So Steward applied to be a referee for her soccer club, NCFC.
The process of becoming a ref can be complicated. Steward took a course online that took her through the steps, like how to ref and what you must have, and finished with a Zoom call and a final test.
Steward refs for a variety of ages, but her primary group is U12 girls to U14, and also 13-14 boys. Gamedays can be fun, but they also require preparation and focus. A crucial part of refereeing is not just on the field, but before the game even starts.
“You show up at least 30 minutes before the game in your uniform, you find your other refs and make sure you are on the same status, and then you check in the teams and make sure everything is good to go.” Said Steward.
Once these bases are covered, it’s time to put her knowledge to the test and ref the game. Steward is the perfect candidate for a job like this because of her long history with the sport, but there are other qualities that are equally important for a referee to have.
A good referee is someone who is very engaged and able to stay in track with the game,” said Steward. “And someone who is confident because they won’t yell at you if you feel confident in your calls.”
Refereeing can be a fun way to use your knowledge of your sport to make money. While it started as a way for Steward to get to work at a young age, she highly recommends it to anyone looking for a job.
Together, these side hustles show how Green Level students turn skills into income. For each of them, the work is more than a paycheck; it’s a chance for them to do what they love. Whatever your passion or skill may be, chances are there’s a way to turn it into a side hustle of your own!
