She lifted the apron on with a purposeful stride and started taking her first customer’s order as other orders were being called out to her left and right. The sound of chatter filled her ear as she looked at the tables filled with juicy BBQ. With a grin on her face, she quickly fell into awhile smelling the smoky flavor of brisket.

Junior Grace Deragon currently works as a cashier at Rudy’s BBQ. This is her first job and she began working in the summer of 2020. She said she loves her job because of the community she has built while working there.

“I love my job mostly because of the environment,” Deragon said. “I’ve made a lot of friends there who I would never have expected to make friends with, there’s people of all ages there. And also the managers are very laid back and most of them are really young, so they can relate to us more.”

Deragon said she decided to work at Rudy’s for a variety of reasons. Some of them being feelings of pressure, and others out of familiarity with the place.

“I think it was mostly due to the fact that both my brothers had a job,” Deragon said. “My oldest brother is four years older, but I have a twin brother, and he had gotten a job before I did, so I felt like I needed to. Also, my family would go every Sunday so my dad was very familiar with the staff because we were recurring guests.”

She said she also enjoys working at Rudy’s as a part time worker because of many reasons. She acknowledged that the managers are very accomodating in making sure students don’t feel overwhelmed.

“The reason I like working there is because it’s pretty flexible,” Deragon said. “They’ll give me the opportunity to set my availability. Right now I’m working only Tuesdays after school and if people release their shifts, I can pick one up if I want something more. The managers also make sure that the kids who are in school are not feeling pressured by the job and that they can prioritize school work.”

Between school and work, Deragon said she can get very busy juggling the two parts of her life, but she said she finds motivation in her family and personal beliefs.

“My family motivates me because I try to do the best I can for the purpose of just making them proud,” Deragon said. “But also just my personal beliefs as a Christian that I should be serving God. And also just be nice, be kind to everyone and be energized.”

Besides her family and faith, Deragon said she looks up to Monika Stebel, who was her trainer on her first day.

“Monika’s just really awesome,” Deragon said. “I look up to her because she has a lot of dedication, and she kind of inspired me to be enthusiastic with the customers because she always has a smile on her face and is always super energetic. She doesn’t let her mood take away her interaction with the customers.”

Throughout the nine months Deragon has been working at Rudy’s, she said she has learned and grown so much during this time. 

“If you do get a job, don’t just do it for the money,” Deragon said. “I feel like it’s a really good place for the social aspect and for learning, and you want a place you feel safe and comfortable in. I’ve learned so much within the past nine months about things like society, working with people, problem solving, and things like that. So it’s important to have an open mindset.”

After all this time, Deragon said she found a community of people that feels like family to her.

“I think I found my place,” Deragon said. “It took me a long time to realize that and I was at a point where I was wondering if this was the right thing for me, but after giving it more time, I do love it. And it is something I look back at today and I’m really glad I got a job there.”