Though the end of the year usually marks an opportunity for students to exercise their new-found freedom by spending entire days doing nothing but relaxing, some students are taking advantage of their free time over summer vacation to gain real world experience by taking on a job.

Striving for experience in the real world, senior Max Kanner will have an internship with the U.S. Senate on Capitol Hill. Kanner will be doing mostly administrative work.

“A typical day for me would be reading constituent mail, helping draft memos and doing a lot of research for policies,” said Kanner.

The main reason Kanner chose to have this internship is to have a leg-up for future careers.

“It would really bolster my resumé for work in college,” said Kanner. “It gives me an advantage over the other kids for job searching.”

Like Kanner, sophomore Allison Kepple will also have a job over the summer, but instead of cash, she is receiving student service learning (SSL) hours for volunteering at a homeless shelter. She will work with children reading to them, feeding them, and coloring with them. Kepple chose to work at the National Center for Children and Families because of its location and her previous background with the shelter.

“I’m working there because it’s close to my house and I worked there earlier in the school year so it’s easy to continue there over the summer,” said Kepple.

Kepple decided to work at the shelter to try to make a difference in children’s lives.

“It’s not really about getting SSL hours for me,” said Kepple. “It’s the satisfaction I find in what I do.”

Unlike Kanner or Kepple, sophomore Alex Marquez will be working part-time for money as a caddie carrying clubs, reading greens, and judging fairway distances at Burning Tree Country Club in Bethesda.

“It’s just an easy way for me to make extra money,” said Marquez. “It’s not that hard of a job and it pays pretty well.”