During a typical shift at Cedar Crest, a student waitress is met with many demands: taking residents’ orders, managing time, and keeping track of multiple tables in a fast-paced environment. However, unlike a typical restaurant, she also needs to ensure she is accommodating to each resident’s needs, who may be struggling with speech, hearing, and other problems. 

Junior Reagan Brush describes her typical shift at Cedar Crest, a senior living home in Pompton Plains, as “definitely very stressful,” especially due to the complicated ordering process. Specifically, the residents do not pay with cash, so she has to record each resident’s name to their meal plan before taking orders. However, she finds that the most challenging part is actually taking orders, as many residents have individual needs, making it easy to fall behind on multiple tables. 

Over time, Brush has adapted to the fast-paced work environment. “I’m pretty familiar with most of the residents now, so I can anticipate how much time someone will take to order, and I can give myself the proper amount of time to take it,” says Brush. “A lot of the residents also have repetitive orders, so sometimes I don’t have to ask them for any specifications; I can just put them in myself.”

Despite the challenges, the job also offers meaningful connections with residents. “There is one resident in particular that everyone loves, Mrs. Peshkopia,” says Brush. “She’s so nice and is always asking about my life, and she loves it when I show her photos of the things I talk about. She is like my work grandma.”

Through these experiences, Brush developed important skills that go far beyond the typical student job. She explains that working as a waitress in a retirement home has “definitely given [her] more patience,” especially because many residents require extra time and understanding. 

Overall, though working as a student can be challenging, it also offers meaningful skills that can be helpful in the future.