Summer Jobs, Lifelong Values
by US Senator John Thune
In South Dakota, we take pride in a job well done. Our work ethic is often instilled in us from a young age – first at home and school, in sports, and eventually in our first jobs. A first job is an important rite of passage that teaches values like teamwork and diligence, as well as the freedom and responsibility that come with earning a paycheck. During the summer, it’s exciting to see so many young South Dakotans working across the state.
Summers in South Dakota offer plenty of opportunities to gain work experience while earning some money. Many of the small businesses, farms, and ranches that are the backbone of our state’s economy offer opportunities for young people to fill job openings, particularly during the summer months. And employers of all kinds need extra sets of hands during the busy travel season.
Growing up in Murdo, at the crossroads of Highway 83 and I-90, my four siblings and I all worked summer jobs related to the travel industry. My sister waited tables at a restaurant, two brothers worked at filling stations, another brother at the Pioneer Auto Show, and I got my start at the Star Family Restaurant, which still operates today. I spent seven summers there, starting out as a busboy, reporting for duty at 5:45 a.m. I later moved to the back of the restaurant to wash dishes before eventually becoming a cook. I value the experience I gained working at the Star Family Restaurant, and it was a great place to earn money for college and to learn lifelong skills.
As a U.S. senator, I’m able to offer young South Dakotans the opportunity to gain a different kind of valuable work experience to start their careers. My office offers paid internships for college students, and I can nominate qualified South Dakota high school juniors for the Senate Page Program. Paid internships are available throughout the year in Washington, D.C., Aberdeen, Rapid City, and Sioux Falls. Interns work closely with constituents, hone their writing, research, and communication skills, while learning firsthand about the federal government and the issues affecting South Dakota. The U.S. Senate Page Program allows high school juniors to see firsthand how the Senate operates while taking classes and assisting in the Senate’s day-to-day operations. Both the internship and page programs operate four sessions throughout the year and application information for both can be found on my website or by calling any of my offices.
First jobs are not often the most glamorous or easiest work, but they instill important values and a work ethic in first-time workers that will serve them throughout their life. I hope all the young South Dakotans working their first jobs this summer have a chance to reflect on some of what they’re learning from their experience and the future opportunities they might present, and I wish them all the best in their work.
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Very nice.
Mark Twain is credited with saying that in Philadelphia, people ask who your parents are, in New York, they ask what you are worth, in Boston, they ask what you know. Connections, money, education. That was a long time ago!
We moved on to become a meritocracy. I noticed years ago that when men were introduced to each other, they asked “what do you DO?” You were defined by your occupation. When you got your first job, you became somebody. Without a job, you were nobody.
Now we live in a victimocracy. Everybody is a victim, and nobody has to do anything but complain. Prince Harry comes to mind. If ever there were somebody desperately in need of a job, it’s him. Donald Trump is another one, can’t stop complaining about his “perfect phone call” and being cheated out of the 2020 election. The alumni of prestigious private universities are complaining about their student loan debt.
And so it goes.
Get a job. Just shut up and get a job.
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i’m not going to single out donald trump as some kind of entitlement queen or something – he’s the hardest working employee on the trump 24 campaign, not to mention the donald trump perpetual adoration society. it’s a heavy load. i’m also not interested in bashing people who want to restructure their school loans if they can – i don’t feel i have a right to block peoples access to public money if they’re rightfully proving and pursuing their claims, and my personal finances aren’t affected at all by their exploits. it’s their country too.
this column was a nice chat about the value and goodness of honest work. working hard and thus learning to also work smart are what built this country – not whether we pass this or that political smell test.
Big whup. We’ve all done s**t jobs to survive. Is there a violin solo there somewhere?
I guess it worked out. Fat job in DC, lifetime luxury health insurance and benefits in exchange for years of idle chatter.