Photo by Noah Katcher

The Pike and Rose neighborhood of North Bethesda offers a wide variety of employment options for WJ students. Shown above is Jinya Ramen Bar (on the left), and The Baked Bear (on the right). Both of these businesses currently employ fellow Wildcats.

It’s starting to feel like everywhere in the North Bethesda area, Walter Johnson students, both former and current, are behind the cash register. Students are joining the workforce in jobs ranging from restaurants to candy stores and everything in between. Many students searching for jobs don’t know where to look first, but there are plenty of great options where they can be paid to work with some of their best friends, all within a five mile radius of WJ.

Seniors Talya Horn and Nandi Thales are working at the newly opened Jinya Ramen Bar, located in Pike and Rose.

“I chose to work [at Jinya] because they were a brand new place in the area that was really close to home and I had previous experience at a restaurant,” Horn said.

Jinya opened just about a month ago and has already earned its place on the map. Offering everything from tacos to decked up ramen, Jinya is truly the place to be for both customers and employees alike.

“I love the people [there]… I’ve made some good friends. Also the very chill environment makes everyday at work very enjoyable,” Thales said.

Many students feel that working in a fun and lively environment is a must. It’s not just the great food or clothes that makes a business stand out, it’s the people behind the scenes. Jinya has a great sense of community that really would attract any WJ student to join its workforce.

There are so many new fun and festive businesses popping up in both, the Rockville and Bethesda areas that are perfect places of employment for WJ students. One of which being Henry’s Sweet Retreat, or “Henry’s” for short. Henry’s opened just about two years ago in downtown Bethesda. With neon colors on the walls and candy virtually everywhere in sight, employees feel that Henry’s is simply a jackpot.

Senior Abby Horick has been working at Henry’s for well over a year now, and loves working with fellow WJ students. Some former WJ students such as class of 2018 graduate Izzy McMullen and WJ transfer Ava Solomon who is now enrolled as a junior at Bethesda Chevy Chase High School also work at the Bethesda candy shop.

“It’s awesome [to work with other students who attended WJ] because we can relate to so many things and have more time to talk outside of school,” Horick said.

From the Pike to the Woodmont Triangle, WJ students are having fun working all over the area. Students are enjoying their jobs while making some money to enjoy as well. Getting employment experience, making some cash, and spending time with some your closest friends is the way to enter the workforce.