Teen worker balances school, job

PALMER -- The overhead speaker keeps the group in turn as the women move from machine to machine, finishing their Curves for Women workout in a half hour. Sweat and laughter fill the Palmer fitness center, as women share their days and their workout woes and triumphs with the Curves employees, hired not only to instruct but also to inspire.

Becca Vince, 17, is one of those employees. A fitness technician at the Palmer Curves for Women, Becca is one of the 1,477 youth employees working in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. The youth in the Valley make up 7.6 percent of all Valley workers, and 43 percent of all Alaska teens ages 14 to 17 hold a job at least one quarter of the year. Although Vince raves about her position now, her first work experiences started the same as many youth workers in the Alaska region: Fast food.

"My first job was at a farm… I planted seedlings," said Vince. "I use to work at McDonald's, but I worked too late and couldn't get to school. Sometimes I didn't get off until 3 [a.m.]."

Vince started working at Curves while still holding her job at McDonald's, and is now looking for a second job to replace her missed McDonald's income. Unlike many youth workers, whose paychecks are usually used as discretionary income, Vince uses the money she makes working the same as many adult workers: To pay rent.

"A couple weeks after I turned 17, I moved out," said Vince, who has an apartment in Palmer. When asked what kind of second job she was looking for, her answer was clear: "Anything but fast food."

Vince is a student at Valley Pathways, and will graduate in October. She typically goes to school six to six and a half hours a day, then works from 3 to 8 p.m. at one of the two Curves for Women locations in the Valley. She said the experience she has gained at Curves has been rewarding.

"I really like that I know each member one on one," said Vince. "I do the best I can so that they have an upbeat attitude when they leave. We are really like one huge family."

Vince also gives credit to Curves for their commitment to her education.

"Curves has been very supportive," said Vince. "My school schedule is so wacky. They really want to help me finish [school]."