With many activities postponed or canceled, some Country Day students decided to pick up jobs to pass their time.

After her band camp was canceled for the summer, senior Allie Bogetich decided to work as a hostess at Piatti, an Italian restaurant in Sacramento.

She started in June and is still working there.

Bogetich wanted to interact with customers, so she interviewed for a hostessing position.

“They hired me four days later, so I would say the interview was quite successful,” she said.

Bogetich mostly works near the entrance, seating customers and answering any questions they might have.

“I’m basically the face of the restaurant,” she said.

Bogetich works the evening shift on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays.

Her least favorite part of the job is working late on the weekends. She has left work as late as 10:30 p.m.

Greeting a variety of customers is Bogetich’s favorite part of the job. The willingness to eat at a restaurant during these times amazes her.

“When it’s over 100 degrees and there is ash falling out of the sky, you must really want that $27 glass of champagne,” Bogetich said.

By working as a hostess, Bogetich has gained experience in communication, taking upwards of 100 phone calls per shift.

“Talking on the phone with strangers is a lot easier now,” she said.

With the restaurant opening its indoor seating after 3 months, Bogetich said sanitation is crucial.

Whenever she has free time, she grabs cleaning solution and wipes down any surfaces that need it.

Sanitation is also important in senior Avinash Krishna’s job.

In the midst of studying for his SATs, Krishna helped set up a drug rehabilitation home. 

He worked for the entire month of June. 

Krishna decided to work over the summer because he wanted something to do in case the SAT was canceled. 

During his sophomore year, Krishna said he enjoyed volunteering at the Vascular Institute of Northern California, so he knew he wanted to work in the healthcare field over the summer. 

“My dad is opening a drug rehabilitation home in Folsom, California, so I wanted to help him out with that,” Krishna said. 

The residential home houses around six people and strives to help people through their detoxification process, he said.

Krishna furnished the house with couches and TVs, which was his least favorite part of the job.

“Although setting up the home isn’t that mentally stimulating, it plays a crucial role for the patients,” Krishna said.

Television takes the patients’ minds off drugs, reducing the chance of a relapse, he said.

Krishna also set up the rehab center’s website, his favorite part. 

The website was designed so the patients can easily access their appointment information, treatment plans and contact information, he said. 

He learned a lot about the drug rehabilitation industry. 

“I was fascinated by all the different methods of treatment and the addictiveness of certain drugs,” Krishna said. 

Sophomore Elizabeth Cook babysat a Country Day family’s two children three times a week for about a month during the summer.

The energetic pre-kindergartener and first grader, Oliver and Andrew Bentley, loved to run around and play, Cook said.

“They also loved to paint their nails, which was really cute,” she said.

The boys were the only people Cook could see out of quarantine, so the parents were comfortable with the babysitting. 

Cook’s usual shift was from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Her biggest challenge was getting the boys to go to sleep.

“As soon as I left the room, they would immediately stand up and come out,” she said.

Although bedtime was a challenge for Cook, it was also a time when they made the most memories. 

Cook would read them Dr. Seuss books, and the boys would try to rhyme the words.

“Oliver couldn’t read yet, so we all got a laugh out of his attempts to rhyme,” Cook said. 

Cook didn’t wear a mask or social distance while babysitting the boys. At that point in time, the two boys were the only people Cook could see besides her family.

On top of babysitting, Cook also tutored a Country Day second grader. 

She tutored her for four hours a day and four days a week for the span of a month. 

Cook worked on math and reading with her, but the lack of supplies and brief instructions were a challenge. 

“One of our math activities required a surplus of coins, which we didn’t have,” Cook said. “So, we improvised and made coins out of paper.”

The second grader also had an older sister in seventh grade who they would hang out with after their work was done.

One of her favorite memories was when the older sister did Cook’s makeup, which resulted in her face being all pink. 

“She didn’t have any face wash, so I went home looking like that,” Cook said, with a laugh.

— By Rod Azghadi

Originally published in the Oct. 20 edition of the Octagon.