Work Experience

Chicago SUP

Senior Paddleboard Instructor and General Manager

 The last two summers, I’ve worked hard at Chicago SUP as a stand-up paddleboarding instructor. I lead daily interactive paddleboarding lessons for groups, provide paddleboarding rentals, and gear sales on Lake Michigan. Although the job started with getting customers out on the water and teaching beginners the fundamentals, my eagerness and efficiency to work caught the attention of the owner. In 2022, I started my position as the general manager. I now am solely in charge of creating weekly schedules, rebooking and rescheduling customers, informing and prepping employees for large events, and operating the payroll system. Frankly, it’s a lot in the hands of an 18-year-old who just graduated high school. The magnitude of responsibility is exciting and new for me. The managerial work has helped me establish unique skills in organization, dependency, and communication. In addition to those work habit norms I’ve learned, I’ve turned into a great paddleboarder! I use what I know about musculoskeletal functions to equip each customer with key paddling technique tricks. One personal project I’ve helped incorporate into Chicago SUP’s offerings is big group beach clean-ups on a weekly basis. I look forward to the rest of the season, where I’ve been working to get several camp groups, charity events, and more beach clean-ups scheduled.

Working at Chicago SUP has taught me a customer service values, how small businesses operate, and, of course, how to paddleboard properly.