LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - If you think all teachers get summers off just like their students, you might think again. Some are on the lookout for a way to earn extra cash during summer break.
That’s what Austin House is doing. She’s working as a waitress all summer long. Her waitressing journey started as a way to pay for college to become a teacher but it ended up being an opportunity she couldn’t give up.
“I got a job in Carlisle, so I ended up sticking around,” said House. During the school year, House teaches sixth grade English for the Carlisle School District. During the summer, she's a waitress at Nick’s Bar-B-Q and Catfish. House has been working there since her first year of college. Putting herself through college, it was a way for her to financially support her education. She has now been working for Nick’s for nearly eight years.
House isn’t the only teacher working there in the summer. She said the restaurant employs multiple teachers and even a full-time dental assistant who all take on waitressing as a second job for the summer. House said she and her colleagues are excited to make the extra cash when summer rolls in. “As soon as school gets out I kind of load up because I’m all fresh, it’s summer and I’m excited,” she said. “I’m like, yes, let’s work.”
House said one of her favorite parts of working at Nick’s is meeting people from all over the world who have dined there. The restaurant has multiple walls of fame highlighting guests who have dined there. They have an assortment of photographs of everyone from celebrities to senators.
“It’s neat to meet so many different people from so many different walks of life,” she said.
Her experience serving all types of people is something she said has helped her become a better teacher. “Being a waitress, in general, helped me to be more comfortable socializing with other teachers at the school district I work at,” she said.
House said she's committed to keeping this summer job for the long haul. “I enjoy it and I don't see anything stopping me from being able to do both things.”
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