For some WCHS students, a typical Sunday evening may consist of a nice stack of homework and family dinner. For others, their Sundays include tutoring, baking a batch of cupcakes or coming up with new choker designs.

Whether it be jewelry making, babysitting or tutoring, WCHS students have found easy and creative ways to make money, while still having fun. Students either use social media or word of mouth to share their business and gain customers.

“I started [Mem’s Kitchen] last spring by selling cupcakes to friends and family, but I actually made it a more formal business at the beginning of last summer,” senior and Mem’s Kitchen baker Melanie Heller said. “People ate my food and said that it tasted like professional quality, which urged me to open a bakery.”

Heller is a completely self-taught baker who started her business out of love to bake for her community. Her website includes a menu with sweet treats, ranging from cookies and meringues to cupcake, cake balls and cakes, all custom-made for the buyer.

Outside of baked goods, some students express their creativity through designing, while others do so by making jewelry, like juniors Maddie Kupinsky and Milena Costantino who started their own jewelry business.

“We started Sea Jewelry when we were walking around Michael’s and thought making jewelry would be fun,” Kupinsky said. “It is a fun thing to do and we wanted to share what we made with other people.”
Kupinsky and Costantino started Sea Jewelry by selling choker necklaces and bracelets to friends through Instagram. Their business started to become popular and soon blossomed into them selling their jewelry to other students.

“It was unexpected that people would be interested in our ideas,” Kupinsky said. “We figured that since so many companies make jewelry, people wouldn’t really take an interest, but our friends have been very supportive and excited about what we have made.”

Their products consist mainly of chokers decorated with a single pendant or charms inspired by the sea, such as seashells and starfish. Their jewelry is handmade and good quality, though the prices are still affordable for students.

Students like Kupinsky and Costantino are able to keep their businesses going due to their excellent time management skills alongside the flexibility of the job. They are able to work their job around their busy schedules while still staying on top of school work.

Junior Anastasia Levchuk has found her own way to earn money while learning business skills through her passion for skincare and beauty.

“Dermatology interests me, so I started working at my mom’s skincare spa, Bioluxe Medical Spa,” Levchuk said. “I currently do send-outs and marketing, but I am working my way up to assistant manager.”

Another way students make money is through a high school classic: babysitting. It’s convenient, as students can work it around their schedules, while also spending some time away from the books.

“I started babysitting because I wanted to make money easily, and my responsibility made me a good candidate for the job,” junior Enaya Saleh said. “I like spending time with kids and not being on my phone. It is nice to play board games and just spend time with carefree children.”

One of the most common ways WCHS students make money is through tutoring other students in academic, athletic or musical fields. This works for many students, as they are able to practice a certain skill or activity while still making money and spending time helping other students.

“My favorite part about teaching is listening to my students make music and enjoy it,” junior flute and piano tutor Cheryl Zhang said. “Everybody learns differently, but everyone can achieve great things if they really try.”