For many Ames High students, high school is a time of increasing responsibility. Students begin to drive, get jobs and handle their finances, and start pursuing the career that they plan on holding in adulthood.

For Junior Taea Bonner, this increase of responsibilities has come much faster than most. When a friend of hers from work was looking for a roommate to rent an apartment with this past winter, Taea agreed to move in with her. Since then, she has had to balance school, work, and friends in a way that few high schoolers would be able to handle.

“I work thirty hour weeks right now,” said Bonner. “I work at McDonald’s, but I want another job. McDonald’s is just like high school. There’s just a lot of drama and immature people.”

Taea’s family still lives in Ames, and she visits them as often as she can. Also, her mom pays for her groceries and helps with bills if she ever needs assistance. Still, Taea would not recommend this path for everyone.

“A lot of the days I just don’t want to go school. It’s a lot easier to [go to school] when you have your mom there pushing you to go. I mean she still calls me and she’s like ‘why didn’t you go to school today?’ I’ve been getting better with [being at school], but I shouldn’t be missing at all.”

After high school Taea wants to study criminal justice at DMACC and Iowa State and then move “somewhere warm,” preferably Florida, where she will meet the man of her dreams, throw a beautiful wedding that she invites all of her closest friends to (including the author of this article), and raise a beautiful family.

And one day, when Taea’s grandchildren huddle around her and ask what her time in high school was like, she’ll be able to tell them that high school was where she learned how to be an adult. A young adult who takes care of her business, and above all, is prepared to conquer her future.