When Emmanuel Sandoval puts his mind to a task, he does it with all of his energy. He is totally committed to everything he does, and his job as a dishwasher and prep cook at Taqueria El Tejaban in the Solano Mall is no exception.

“I started working there in June,” said Sandoval. When he is there, he is expected to wear his uniform, which includes a t-shirt with the name of the restaurant.

While this isn’t his first job, it is the one that he has spent the most time at. Currently he works from 34 – 38 hours a week and, while he is only earning minimum wage, that can add up pretty quickly. He did spend four days working at Baskin-Robbins before this, but “they didn’t call me back again,” he said.

He wanted to make sure that he was earning money because he is saving for a car. Working at Taqueria El Tejaban is a better fit for him, but not just because he is on the schedule six days a week. “I get to see how most of the food is made and it teaches me to cook and gives me ideas for cooking,” he said.

While cooking is one of his roles at the restaurant, he spends a lot of his time washing dishes. When the restaurant closes for the night, he is one of the employees who is responsible for going through the process of closing down for the night.

“I always try to do something,” Sandoval said. “I can’t be doing nothing because then I get bored so I’m always doing something.” This behavior helps make him a desirable employee.

His boss likes Sandoval’s work enough to schedule him for several hours a week and is willing to be flexible when Sandoval tries out for sports later in the year. Sandoval has every reason to appreciate his boss. “He’s pretty cool and he even gives me rides back home because I live close to the mall,” he said.

If someone else were looking for a job, Sandoval suggested that he or she “try to find a job that you’re going to like and that’s also near you.”

When he’s not at work or at school, Sandoval can be found watching an anime, listening to music, watching TV or playing with his younger siblings.