A single bell rings above the door, and as you walk across an old, red doormat, a cool breeze of vanilla hits your face. To your left are tables with chess boards and a wall of freezers stuffed with milk and other dairy products. The famous red striped wall and white tile flooring decorate the inside of this store, and a long counter full of ice cream sits to your right. Every summer, several South students chose to pursue jobs in this sweet industry- ice cream.
For sophomore Kathleen Hiltebrand, her first job is working for Dairy Bar. From meeting kids, teens, and adults, working at the Dairy Bar has allowed Hiltebrand to enhance her interpersonal skills and meet different people, she said.
“I take [American Sign Language] and I met a [a man who was] deaf, [so] I was able to sign with him,” Hiltebrand said.
Inside the shop, there are many other high school students working, Hiltebrand said. In total, about 20 to 25 workers, of all ages, are employed by the Dairy Bar, Hiltebrand added. One of them is senior Marie Ku, Dairy Bar manager, who began working at the Dairy Bar as a sophomore.
In her managerial role, Ku learned how to organize others in the busy, crowded atmosphere of the small ice cream shop. She has gained leadership skills as well, having to communicate with other employees on what they need to do, Ku added.
“[I have] learned how to multitask and how to manage busy situations because the Dairy Bar gets really [popular] in the summer,” Ku said “We’re in a small space and everybody’s moving around, trying to get things done as fast as possible. [I have become able to] navigate that [and] stay calm under pressure.”
However, Dairy Bar is not the only ice cream parlor that employs South students. Sophomore Lexie Benedetti spends her typical work day talking to customers, cleaning tables, and, of course, scooping ice cream. She had wanted to work at an ice cream shop for some time, Benedetti added.
“I’ve always wanted to work at an ice cream shop growing up because I thought it would be a fun summer job,” Benedetti said.
The skills needed at a parlor do not happen overnight, Benedetti said. They take time to memorize and adjust to, but eventually the job became faster and easier, she added.
“You have to put in a lot of time and effort into [the job] if you want to succeed,” Benedetti said. “You’re not going to be able to remember everything on your first week. It takes a little bit of time.”
Because working at an ice cream parlor provides valuable job experience, people should consider working at one, Ku advised.
“Just go for [the job].” Ku said. “See what happens. You’ll learn life lessons.”
