Keaton McAuliffe
Reporter
On a winter Saturday morning, most students are cozied up in their beds catching up on their sleep. Junior Sara Musicco, on the other hand, is up at 7:00, putting on her snow gear and preparing to hit the slopes at Stratton Mountain Resort.
Sara isn’t just skiing for fun. She, along with a few others NCHS students, has a job as a ski instructor. “I became a ski instructor because we have these really good family friends in Vermont that have two kids that are a few years older than us,” Sara said. “They both became instructors and influenced my siblings and I to try it.”
Senior Veronica Hoeft is also a ski instructor at Stratton. Veronica, too, was inspired to try instructing because of her brother and sister, who were both instructors as well. But even more so, she decided to instruct so that she could continue her love for skiing. “I have been skiing since I could walk,” she said. “I started on a hill in Connecticut but then began skiing at Stratton. I went through all the programs and once I reached the last one I didn’t want to give up skiing. I wanted to earn some of my own money so it seemed like the logical next step.”
However, going up to Vermont almost every weekend is a large commitment. Sara’s brother, senior Nick Musicco, who also instructs young skiers at Stratton, does track and makes the commute to Stratton as well. But, because of the stress of the time commitments, he has to sacrifice some of his competitions in order to ski. “I try to go up as many weekends as possible,” he said. “But it’s hard doing track since all the meets are on the weekends.”
Although Sara used to do indoor track, she chose to give it up in order to work.“I’ve had to make sacrifices with sports that have anything on the weekends,” she said. “I give up my free time on weekends to relax for working and that does get really exhausting. Now I have to balance two full days of work with homework and four hour drives.”
Working as a ski instructor every weekend also puts stress on a social life. “I have definitely had to make social compromises,” Veronica said. “I have missed many weekend events and get together’s because of a weekend at Stratton.”
Nick agreed that he has also missed some social events because of work, but that he has friends in Vermont that help him fill his time. “I usually miss a party or two when I go up, but there are things going on with friends I have at Stratton so it’s not terrible,” he said.
Despite these challenges, most agree that they would like to continue instructing throughout college if they can. “If I get my Level 1 teaching certificate then I can continue teaching at any resort in America,” Sara said. “But if I go to a school that’s far from Vermont, I’m going to have to give up my job.”
Veronica also thinks it would be difficult to work during college if she chooses a school far from a mountain. “If I go close by I would love to continue working,” she said. “Many of my friends from Burlington make the commute, but if the commute is longer than a couple hours it may be difficult.”
Continuing to instruct throughout college would also be helpful with money. Not only do the instructors get paid hourly, but they also get benefits from the ski resort which they can use for free skiing and resort opportunities. “I get paid $9 an hour, which has gone up from the $8.50 I had when I started five years ago,” Nick said. “And you earn a free lift ticket for the season by working.”
“Employees get great benefits,” Veronica agreed. “Every year I can choose from multiple perks- I always choose one free resort pass for my mother.”
Not only do the instructors get money and benefits, but they gain experience through teaching little kids to ski. “I teach four to six-year-olds; they’re adorable.” Nick said. “However, sometimes they can be annoying.”
Sara agreed that working with little kids can be mentally stressful, as well as physically challenging. “It is pretty tiring working with the kids, mostly because skiing is so physically demanding for them and they fall down a lot,” she said.
Even though conditions can be difficult and exhausting, the instructors all love their jobs and they don’t plan on leaving the slopes anytime soon. “It’s hard to stop doing what you love,” Veronica said. “I have been skiing since I was three and I could not imagine giving it up.”
