Now that school is back in session, summer has officially come to a close. Summer is a time of relaxation, exploration, and fun. Although our routines are similar throughout the school year, each and every one of us choose to spend our summers differently. Some of us travel, some attend sleepaway camp, while others choose to work. 

Having a summer job is an experience that a handful of Poly students partake in during their time off from school. One student, senior Maeve Igoe has spent her past two summers working at Get Salty Adventures in East Moriches, N.Y. When describing her daily routine at work Maeve said, “every morning I board the Summersalt, a yellow pontoon boat in Moriches bay to begin my duties as the first mate. We then prepare the boat for the day as we embark on a beach and boat excursion, pointing out the different marine wildlife around the bay. We stop off at sandbars to see horseshoe crabs while also pointing out landmarks within the bay like the Moriches inlet or Gull Island.” Maeve also mentioned that through working at Get Salty Adventures, she was able to complete her required boating hours to earn a U.S. Coast Guard Captain’s License in the future. 

Another Poly Prep senior, Charlie Plym, spent his summer days working at Haskell’s Bait and Tackle in East Quogue, N.Y. “I was a fishing gear salesman so I opened and closed the store, worked the register, spooled and fixed reels, set up beginners with gear, and I also cut bait and packaged it to be sold,” Plym said. He also mentioned that he met a few members of the Poly Prep community during his shifts, most notably fixing the reel of one of his peers’ fishing rod, saying that, “it was just cool to make that kind of connection outside of school.” 

“I think my most memorable moment of my summer job was when we were with a paddle boarding group and the sun was setting behind the boat. It was just overall really pretty,” Igoe said. Similarly, Plym states that his most memorable moment of his summer occupation was when, “I taught a dad and his kid how to fish and set them up”, adding that, “they ended up coming back in a couple days and said they caught stuff and were really getting into it”. 

Summer jobs have shown themselves to be incredibly fruitful experiences, proven by the fact that both Igoe and Plym expressed that they are very passionate about their respective occupations, already anticipating returning to their work this coming summer.