Many students at Greeley West High School take on the daunting task of balancing school work and having a job. Senior Trent Parham got this first job working at Vestas Wind Turbine Solutions and Services.

Parham was hired by Vestas as an apprentice through a District 6 partnership in the summer time.  Successful apprentices continue the  program through the school year.

Parham works on the build team at Vestas.  That means he lays fiberglass sheets in accordance with instructions that the company gives him. “I usually average 60 hours bi-weekly and  can work up to 12 hour shifts.”

Depending on how many hours a shift is,  he could walk anywhere between 11-12 miles. “There are times where I will work until 4:30 a.m, but mostly 12-2:30 a.m,” Parham said. 

To find success at his job site and school, Parham breaks his days into chunks of time and prioritizes his actions.  ““I manage it by working based off of what I have to do the following day,”  Parham said.  “If I have a lot of school work, I don’t work as much; if I have a small amount of school work, I’ll work more.”

Parham is also in the concurrent enrollment class, Intro to Computer Business Applications at Aims Community College.  There, he learns about computer programs used to perform business functions. “I spend about an hour or two every night doing homework,” said Parham. 

Parham doesn’t feel like the challenge is too great, given the hybrid schedule facing West students during the pandemic.  “It isn’t too bad because of the reduced classes and school time,” Parham said.