Throughout the busy hallways and classrooms of Mount Vernon High School, there are untold stories of teachers balancing two jobs. A second job isn’t uncommon on the weekdays, weekends, or during the summer at MVHS. Many teachers have to balance the responsibilities of two jobs, showing dedication to teaching.
One educator who balances a unique second job is English teacher Alissa Sabers. Sabers is not only a great teacher but also an expert travel planner as a Disney Travel Professional. During the week at Mount Vernon, most students know Sabers as their English teacher, but for the past three years, Sabers has also been working in the travel industry. Sabers revealed that she does work the most over summer break, but if the job demands she works during the school year on the weekdays or weekends after her children go to bed. But it is not always that easy for Sabers to balance both of her jobs. Sometimes helping travelers plan their Disney vacations can have some challenges. Sabers admits, “It’s difficult to manage because I can’t control how many people need my assistance, so sometimes five people at one time can be a lot of work and hard to manage.” Although some challenges may occur, Sabers still finds joy in planning trips, “love” is how Sabers describes how much she enjoys it. Also, the additional income is a nice bonus for her. Sabers story is just one of many within Mount Vernon High School, we’ll dive deeper into the experiences of other teachers, like Sabers.
Another educator with a dual role similar to Sabers is Industrial Technology teacher Ben Kuker. Kuker teaches multiple industrial technology classes at Mount Vernon High School during the school year. During the summer, you’ll find Kuker doing something much different at his second job in pool maintenance for the City of Cedar Rapids. Kuker shares what it’s like working during the summer months. “I work for the city during the summertime, because it’s easy to manage when I’m not teaching during the school year.” This summer job is nothing new for Kuker, he previously worked for the city doing the same job from 2009 to 2013, resuming his same job again in 2023 and he intends to work this upcoming summer too. With seven years of experience, it shows how well Kuker has managed having a job over summer break and educating during the school year.
Another teacher who finds herself balancing the workload of two jobs is Spanish teacher Erica Nichols. Despite having prior dance experience, Nichols started as a dance instructor three years ago. Teaching dance one night a week, Nichols has conflicts between her second job and family obligations rather than her day job as a Spanish teacher at Mount Vernon High School. She shares “It’s harder to manage more because of my family than my job because it is a night away from my kids other than my daughter who has dance practice the same night.” Nichols committed to teaching dance due to her daughter’s interest in dance and to support them. Another perk is teaching lowers the cost of the expensive dance classes for her daughter.
Within Mount Vernon High School the stories of teachers balancing two jobs is not uncommon. From Saber’s travel planning to Kuker’s summer work and Nichol’s dance classes. These three hard-working individuals make juggling two jobs seem easy despite the challenges they face.
