Summer is a time for fun and a great opportunity to escape the stress of school and work. With the extra time that people have, they can pursue their interests. Students pursue activities such as vacationing, working, and attending summer camps. All of these things are great ways to spend your summer, and what students at Berkley High School did.
Vacations are always a great way to get away from home to see and try new things. That is what Theresa Solomon, a 12th grader, did this summer for 2 weeks in Cape Cod, MA. This is a popular spot for people to visit, and it has great views sitting on the Cape Cod Bay. When asking Solomon what one thing she’d recommend doing or seeing there, she said,”I would definitely recommend going to Wellfleet because it is a national seashore, so you can see the sharks and the seals.” Another part of taking a vacation is taking time to spend with your family and relaxing from the daily life at home with school and activities. Solomon also spent time tanning, reading, and hanging out with family. This is an important thing to do over the summer to recharge and get ready for the upcoming school year.
Moving forward, when looking at other things that Berkley students did over the summer, Greyson Scalzi, an 11th grader, decided to go with the route of getting a job and working. Scalzi worked this summer in construction and restoration. Scalzi was proud of the skills that he learned, like time management, hanging drywall, framing, mold remediation, and water damage. While working a summer job as a student who is still a teenager, Scalzi balances work with personal time by taking breaks after long days. He uses this time to hang out with friends and family. The job that he was working was not particularly easy, so when asking him what challenges he faced working over the summer and how he handled them, he said, “You have good days and bad days, some days you just don’t want to do your work or have a rough start to the day, but you can also power through and get a positive out of it.” However, Scalzi wants everyone to know that “working over the summer gives you a lot of real-world experience that you cannot get through high school, and those memories with the people that I worked with.”
Another popular summer option is attending camp, and that is what sophomore Owen Roth spent his time doing this summer. He went on a West Coast trip through Camp Tamarack. The western trip involves a group of campers taking a bus from Michigan to the West Coast. Along the way, they visit numerous national parks with breathtaking views.This trip is also a backpacking expedition, which can be challenging and force the campers to grow and adapt. When asking Roth how this summer helped him grow or challenged him, he said, “It taught me how to be more independent and be out of my comfort zone with people that you might not know the best.” This is a very valuable experience that many young people in today’s day and age could find useful.” Another great part of going on this trip is that there are no phones, which is a great bonus for parents to get their kids away from the screens and have amazing experiences. Overall, summer camp offers an excellent opportunity to make new friends and create lasting memories.
Summer break offers students endless possibilities that they can use to their full advantage. Students can vacation with family and friends. Others gain real-world experience through jobs. Many choose summer camps for fun with peers. Whether working like Scalzi, camping like Roth, or vacationing like Solomon, Berkley students found meaningful ways to spend their break.
