All my Jobs, Ranked.

I’ve had many jobs over the years, and I can say without a doubt that they had a mixed effect on my upbringing. Some were great and some were terrible – but they all helped shape me into the workaholic and person I am today.

Starting with the A Tier:

• UCSD gave me plenty of opportunities to work on campus, and I thoroughly enjoyed each job I had. From shredding paper at Career Services, to putting up laboratory signs, washing carts, and going on Facebook at Environment Health and Safety, to checking in “hotel” guests in the summer at Conference Services (including Lebron James’ summer camp) – each gave me the inner opportunities to make some money while living at school.
• Fairmont Summer Programs might not have paid the best, but it gave me wonderful opportunities to interact with elementary school students in a camp setting. In a way, I got to enjoy summer camp with them, knowing that I was never wealthy enough to go on my own as a child. Field trip Fridays! I also had one of the best bosses in Karen Saturday.
• ThinkTogether was another summer camp I taught math and film in the summer of 2011. It was in that setting that I would decide – yes, that I liked teaching and I would become a teacher. It truly shaped my future forever.

B Tier:

• The OC Fair gave me a chance to sell newspapers to vendors at the OC Fairgrounds. It was boring, and yet I got random bonuses and it taught me the value of hard work being my first job ever in high school.
• The Anaheim Family YMCA gave me a chance prior to student teaching to work with kids in an after school setting. Some of them were quite wild, and danced on tables during detention. Horrifying.
• Lynwood Unified School District: I didn’t get to stay here long enough to really see how great this school could have been. And I taught here during Covid, so that means I didn’t really get to experience it in person. I loved their insurance benefits though, most notably Kaiser Permanente. 
• Anaheim Union School District: I have mixed feelings about this district, being that they laid off many of my friends (who happen to be the best teachers), while keeping some questionable ones. That being said, their benefits and salary are amazing which is why I’m happy to stay in this district forever if possible.

C Tier:

• Bright Star Schools, or more specifically Rise Kohyang Middle School made me a better teacher. I can say that with confidence. But at what cost? Overworked, unhappy teachers stressed out all the time are not conducive to good education. I saw so many teachers cry in that toxic work environment. In the end, I’m  grateful for the friendships I acquired from the school more than anything else, then some of the trauma inflicted on me.
• Excelsior School was a very interesting boarding school in Arcadia I worked at. They paid me hourly, which goes to show how much they valued their teachers…

D Tier:

• Clark County School District: My first year teaching so I was rather inexperienced… but still, there are reasons why many claim this is the worst school district in the entire country.

F Tier:

• Equitas Academy: By far, the worst school I’ve ever taught at. The kids were wild. Mostly because the scripted lesson plans I had to follow teaching history were super dry and not fun. It was like a military camp where kids marched in lines and ate lunch with their cohorts. The kids and teachers were miserable alike, with 7 quitting within the first 2 months. The first job I quit 2 months into, abandoning those terrible kids forever.
• Popeyes: Fast food is a thankless job, and I hated my Korean bosses who were super strict about everything. I had to wash dishes and cook chicken, two things I was simultaneously terrible at (not cleaning properly and dropping chicken on the floor occasionally from time to time and then serving customers). 

Needless to say, my work experiences have made me a better person and I appreciate all industries of productivity and the hard-working people I’ve met throughout the years.