Have you ever thought to yourself, “Hmm, I should get a job to get some money and gain some independence”?

Well, that’s the mindset Carissa Medrano had when she put in her application to McDonalds about a year ago. She was hired by Magda L and has settled into her first job, for now. She loves that her boss is always willing to work with her and change her hours as necessary, to acknowledge the fact Medrano has homework and more.

She typically works about 30 hours per week, which earns her around $970 per paycheck. This job allows Medrano to not only earn some money for expenses, but also to gain experience. It is also a place where she makes friends and McDonalds makes it that much easier with flexible hours around the school schedule.

Medrano has amazing future plans to graduate high school, attend college and eventually become a pediatrician, but in the meantime she’s rocking a McDonald’s uniform with a Golden Arch on it.

Like any job, there are downsides to working at McDonalds. It can be difficult and super busy having to work later in the day and knowing that not all of her homework is complete yet, but even with the stress, she loves talking to people and is able to provide amazing customer service.

For people thinking about starting a job, Medrano shared this advice: “Do everything to the fullest and never be fake”.

Besides her work life, she hangs out with friends, goes walking to the store, or just goes to the movies.