Teen essential workers juggle labor, fear, stress — and remote learning — to help support their families - Chicago Tribune

Before Amara Jackson leaves to work eight-hour shifts at the Whole Foods on the border of Chicago and Evergreen Park, she finishes the day’s remote learning schoolwork, takes her vitamins and sips a hot mug of “Immune Support” tea, adding honey to mask the taste.

Jackson used to work at Water Tower Place, but the busy mall was one of the first things to close.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues and the economic devastation worsens, many Chicago-area high school students have picked up jobs as essential workers to help out parents who have lost jobs or income.

“My dad used to work 45 hours a week and now he can barely get 30 hours,” one Chicago Public Schools student wrote in an online petition seeking relief from the district’s grading policy for remote learning.

“He doesn’t make enough for bills and food so I started to work two jobs of a combined 50 hours so I can help with the bills.

At a Jewel-Osco 16 miles north, in Avondale, Sadie Soto works 30 to 35 hours a week as a stocker.

But Soto said her mom, a CPS teacher, trusts her to do her work and pass her classes.

I thought working at a grocery store would be easier, but it’s really, really physically demanding in a way I didn’t expect." She learned how to lift safely, but her back still aches.

Martin, a junior at Deerfield High School, has been working more weekly shifts since her school moved online.

“Sometimes it’s tough to go into work and sometimes it can be a little weird or scary, you don’t know what’s going to happen,” Martin said.

Regarding the essential worker thing, I’ve thought about that before, but compared to all the people like the health care workers who are really putting their lives at risk, it’s not as scary.”.

Elk Grove High School junior Kaylyn Ahn, 16, said she hears people talk about thanking essential workers, but she never thinks of what she does as anything noble.

One Chicago high school student aced a physics test by sending a set of photos showing his work, according to his teacher at George Westinghouse College Prep