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Pa native perfects ‘Pixels’

Man shot late Saturday night in Wilkes-Barre

<p>Whether it is a right-of-passage to adulthood or a pathway to financial freedom, working Wyoming Valley teens are pocketing more than just a paycheck.</p><p>Besides money for clothes, hanging out with friends and saving toward a car, employed adolescents are gaining soft skills in leadership, time and money management according to Anne Batory, marketing professor and chair of the Department of Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Marketing at Wilkes University.</p><p>&#8220;There is an incredible value to work for young adults,&#8221; Batory said.</p><p><strong>Lessons to learn</strong></p><p>Mikala Sowga, 16, of Shavertown, just joined the ranks of the employed this summer, and is finding she likes the increase in responsibility.</p><p>&#8220;I like making change for customers,&#8221; she said. &#8220;It makes me feel like more of an adult.&#8221;</p><p>On her 16th birthday, she obtained a job as a cashier at Thomas&#8217; Foodtown in Shavertown. Sowga averages about 20 hours a week and plans to keep the job during the school year.</p><p>The responsibility of getting to work on time, clocking in and out, performing required job duties and money management skills form the foundation of becoming a confident adult, Tom Baseski, co-owner of Thomas&#8217; Foodtown said.</p><p>Plains Township mother of three Janine Gabriele agrees, and says she can see the changes in her daughters. Gabriele&#8217;s daughters, Katie, 23, Kristi, 22 and Kelsey, 18, have held part-time jobs since ages 14 and 15.</p><p>Watching the effect employment had on her daughters over the years, Gabriele noticed them become more confident and social.</p><p>James Gabriele, the girls&#8217; father, agrees noting his middle daughter, Kristi, was a little shy.</p><p>Kristi began working at Curly Creme at age 15.</p><p>&#8220;She did not want to work at that time,&#8221; he said.</p><p>By interacting with customers, Kristi became more social.</p><p>Kristi works at Curly Creme during the summer months and Gymboree at the Wyoming Valley Mall in Wilkes-Barre Township. She also is studying Speech Pathology at Misericordia University in Dallas.</p><p>&#8220;They (adolescents) will learn to communicate and work with co-workers, vendors and customers,&#8221; Baseski said. &#8220;They will have to interact with people of different ages, gender, race and economic backgrounds.&#8221;</p><p>Working with the public also can teach teenagers how to defuse and calm a disgruntled customer, he said.</p><p>&#8220;Many people are nice, but sometimes you get an upset customer,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They need to be able to say, &#8216;I hear what you are saying, but let me get a manager.&#8217; They can help you.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Finances</strong></p><p>Early employment also teaches young adults the basics of financial management, Baseski said.</p><p>Baseski&#8217;s son Logan, 16, began working in the family business at age 14 for five hours a week. Baseski used his son&#8217;s paycheck to teach him about compound interest.</p><p>Katie Gabriele has been working since age 15. Today, she works part-time as a receptionist at KC Dental in Pittston Township, part-time at Burger King from Labor Day through to Memorial Day, and at Curly Creme throughout the summer.</p><p>This year, Katie will be paying for her classes at Luzerne County Community College.</p><p>&#8220;Summer is when I work a lot and save as much as possible,&#8221; Katie said.</p><p>Her friends are supportive.</p><p>&#8220;They are all working too,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Her sister, Kelsey Gabriele, 18, also works at Curly Creme in the summer, and Burger King in during the summer said she could not wait to work.</p><p>Watching her sisters at Curly Creme, she said, &#8220;it looked like fun.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Employing Teens</strong></p><p>As an employer, Baseski said teenagers are an important demographic to fill part-time positions.</p><p>Grocery stores are one of many local employers that can offer the flexibility required to hire young adults.</p><p>Scheduling work shifts around classes and extra-curricular activities comes with employing teenagers, Baseski said.</p><p>&#8220;Flexibility is important,&#8221; Baseski said. &#8220;Grocery stores are one of many area employers who can provide great flexibility. We can work with their schedules.&#8221;</p><p>It is good for the young adults to maintain diverse activities, Batory said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Sisters Kelsey and Katie Gabriele hand ice cream cones to Fallyn Boich and Cara Pricher at Curly Creme in Plains Township. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_TTL072315summerjobs1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Sisters Kelsey and Katie Gabriele hand ice cream cones to Fallyn Boich and Cara Pricher at Curly Creme in Plains Township. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_TTL072315summerjobs2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Kelsey and Katie Gabriele work at Curly Creme in Plains Township during the summer and Burger King during the school year. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_TTL072315summerjobs2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Kelsey and Katie Gabriele work at Curly Creme in Plains Township during the summer and Burger King during the school year. </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_summerjobs.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Sowga </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_summerjobs.jpg</photo2><caption2>Sowga </caption2><photoCredit2>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Teens learn valuable lessons in working world</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Eileen Godin</p><p>egodin@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Eileen Godin at 570-991-6387 or on Twitter @TLNews.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Wyoming Valley teens earn skills as well as paychecks through employment