First jobs, first paychecks, first lessons

Long before seasoned career LinkedIn profiles, there were newspaper routes, ice cream scoops, and summer jobs.

 

Those early gigs may not have been glamorous, but they were first paychecks, first lessons in responsibility, and, often, first glimpses of independence.

We asked locals from Daniel Island to Clements Ferry to Cainhoy to share their first-job stories, from the funny to the humbling, and the ones that still shape how they work today.

 

Madeline White - Real estate: From intern to full-timer with Dad

My first job was at my father’s commercial real estate firm, Charleston Industrial. I started as an intern and transitioned to full time in 2020, and I’m still here today! It’s been an incredible experience learning the ins and outs of the industry, especially under the guidance of my dad, who has been a constant mentor and inspiration!

Madeline White

Charleston Industrial

Leading associate

 

Brittany Perez - Zoo educator: Everyday surprises, sometimes with a bite

I was an education coordinator at a zoo! I was 14. I worked children’s birthday parties, special events, zoos-on-the-go. My job was to hold different animals and educate the crowd on the animals! I got to go into the enclosures and take animals out as well. I’ve been bitten and peed on by all sorts of random animals.

Brittany Perez

Daniel Island resident

 

Mary Kate Hampton - Newspaper intern: Covering fires and small-town drama

I worked for The Catalina Islander newspaper as a 16-year-old, interning, taking photos, and covering small-town island news. I reported “Bay Watch” and all the police blotter items. I covered a huge fire that had been started by two fishermen trying to grill their catch in a remote cove.

Mary Kate Hampton, Daniel Island resident

 

Brayden Vassy - Sandwich maker: A delicious bonus each shift

I was 16, and I worked at Groucho’s Deli serving subs and salads. It was such a fun experience, and I probably gained about 15 pounds from the STP Dipper!

Brayden Vassy

Brayden Behind the Chair

Hair salon owner

 

Glenn Raus - Busboy: First job, first mob

I got my first job as a busboy in a fine dining restaurant called The Baron’s Inn in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. Basically we cleared plates and helped the waitstaff however they needed. My most memorable moments were bussing Engelbert Humperdinck’s table, as well as once getting tipped $100 by Phillip Testa for getting him a cup of coffee. For those who don’t know, Phillip Testa was the head of the Philadelphia mob at the time.

Glenn Raus

Osupurē Karate Daniel Island

Sensei and owner

 

Kelly Headley - Babysitter: Early lessons in caregiving

I started babysitting for families in my neighborhood when I was in fifth grade. It taught me responsibility, helped me save towards my first car, and laid the foundation for finding joy in caregiving. This has translated into my two most rewarding and challenging vocations: medicine and parenthood. I’m so grateful now for babysitters who care for our children and give us a night out!

Kelly Headley

Zone Blue

Functional medicine practitioner, founder

 

Kay Ulwelling - Bookkeeper: Detail, confidentiality, and service

I was a bookkeeper at a grain elevator at age 14. My responsibilities included payables/receivables, bank deposits, and dealing with farmers anxious to unload grain – all with a smile on my face. I learned the importance of paying attention to detail, to confidentiality, and delivering great service amid the dust of the grain and zero air conditioning. This experience has served me well throughout my life and career, including today at Edward Jones.

Kay Ulwelling

Edward Jones Daniel Island

Senior branch office administrator

 

Michelle Lindsey - Newspaper columnist: Where my writing journey began

My first job was writing for a local newspaper in Honolulu, Hawaii. I was 14. I wrote a weekly essay column about various topics. It was a phenomenal experience, and I will be forever grateful to the editors of the paper for giving me my start as a published writer. 

Michelle Lindsey

Self-employed

Writer and editor

 

Liz Montoya-Bailey - Gift shop clerk: Making waves one shell at a time

I sold seashells by the seashore at the putt-putt golf place that’s now a CVS on Ben Sawyer! It was called Carolina Gifts and Shells.

Liz Montoya-Bailey

City Tan Owner

 

Michael Stisi - Newspaper carrier: The value of hard work

My first job was delivering Penny Savers (newspapers) when I was 12. I had to wait until I was 12 to get my working papers in New York. I had to give half of everything I made to my mom to help the family. The best memory I had was going to a diner with my best friend and eating a lot of food we paid for using the money we earned. There was not much left!

Michael Stisi

City of Charleston government

Senior grant accountant 

 

Holli Nunn - Ice cream server, lifeguard: Patience and sticky fingers

Technically I worked at an ice cream stand when I was 15 on the Isle of Palms. All the ice cream melted, kids were crying, and I would have to climb a palm tree to release the rafts hanging to rent – which I slid down and had more splinters than I knew what to do with. So I studied and trained and became an ocean lifeguard on the IOP – same beach, so rewarding! I’ve been circled by sharks, and I even saved someone in the middle of a storm. He was holding onto the pier for dear life. His splinters and cuts from all the barnacles made my ice cream days look like a walk in the park!

Holli Nunn

Emotional Curator

Life coach 

 

Bryan Lancaster - Produce clerk: First job and a 40-foot mess 

Winn-Dixie, Charlotte, North Carolina. I was 16 and worked in the produce department. My uncle was the store manager, so I got the best job available for a teenager. I remember putting some new plastic produce bags out, and the roll fell out of my hand. Maybe 40 feet of that roll unrolled most of the way down aisle one.

Bryan Lancaster

McCloud Painting and Pressure Washing 

Owner 

 

Megan Zupcic - Hostess: Food by day, line dancing by the hour

My first job was at Texas Roadhouse! I was 15 years old. I was a hostess and also handled to-go orders. What’s memorable is that we line danced every hour on the hour – if you’ve been to one, you know! A secret shopper rated our location really well, and we got to go to a line dancing competition in Texas to compete against other members of Texas Roadhouse line dancers! We didn’t win, but it was an absolute blast.

Megan Zupcic

Mediterranean Shipping Co.

Collections manager

 

Monika Rosa - Hostess: Making memories 

I was 16, working as a hostess at The Crab Shack in North Charleston. The best part was making memories with my restaurant family, and everyday was different! Plus it’s always good seeing the regulars.

Monika Rose, Mediterranean Shipping Co., Associate

 

Shea Gibson - Busboy: Late-night grind, one plate at a time

I was a 15-year-old busboy at RB’s Seafood Restaurant on Shem Creek. They worked us until 1 a.m. back then.

Shea Gibson

WeatherFlow-Tempest

Meteorologist and wind forecaster 

 

Leah Gonzales - Video store clerk: Free movie nights with coworkers

My first job was at Blockbuster Video, and I was 17 years old. The most memorable moments I have were watching movies with my co-workers when it was slow, or we would stay after closing to hang out. Because of this job I discovered the movie “Clerks,” which was the beginning of my love for Kevin Smith movies, as well as my love for smaller indie films. I watched so many movies that I would have never watched had it not been for the free rentals.

Leah Gonzales

Freelancer

Line producer 

 

Caroline Turner - Gift wrapper: Mastering bows and ribbons at 15

I wrapped gifts over Christmas break for a high-end gift shop that offered free gift wrapping. My mom worked there, so I was able to get a job at 15 for them. I basically sat in the back office on the floor wrapping gifts for my entire shift that people brought to me. I’m an excellent gift wrapper to this day! 

Caroline Turner

Stay-at-home dog mom

 

Jessica Whatley - Windmill worker: Wooden shoes and a 250-year-old windmill

I worked in a 250-year-old windmill in traditional Dutch attire – wooden shoes and all – and I was 16. I loved when they ran the windmill. We also got to throw our wooden shoes off the side of the windmill when they were ready to break.

Jessica Whatley

South Carolina Aquarium

Advertising and community engagement manager 

 

Val Weber - Farmer’s market: Planting seeds of responsibility

It was a farmer’s market when I was 14 and a half! In Connecticut, you’re allowed to work on a farm at that age. I’ve been working ever since!

Val Weber

The Inspire Society/The Boulevard Company

CEO and real estate agent

 

Kerri Redington - Retirement home: Serving more than meals

I was 14 when I started my first job as a server in a retirement home. I became really close to one of the residents. She always sat alone and was considered “grumpy,” but she was the sweetest thing. Eventually, when I could drive, I took her to IHOP for lunch. She was in her late 80s or 90s. She didn’t have family nearby and didn’t get out much, if at all. We wrote letters when I went to college, and I visited her when I came home for breaks. Ms. Brooker will always have a special place in my heart!

Kerri Redington, Paralegal

 

Elizabeth Jones - Sandwich restaurant: Earning dough with bread 

I was 15 years old at Atlanta Bread Company in Towne Center. I bought a surfboard with my first paycheck – it was the reason I got a job.

Elizabeth Jones

Special education teacher

 

Tom Letourneau - Busboy: Earning tips and taste tests

My first job, at 15 years old, was as a busboy at Johnson’s Hummocks Seafood Grill in Providence, Rhode Island. It was a very famous seafood and lobster restaurant. We were paid 10% of the waiter’s/waitresses’ tips! The best part of the job was at the end of the night, sipping the unfinished drinks that tasted different from the wine I used to snitch as an altar boy that my father didn’t use!

Tom Letourneau

Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park

Volunteer

 

Karen Delcioppo - Hospital bluebird: Early lessons in precision and care

As a senior in high school, I worked at a small hospital south of Buffalo, New York, as a “bluebird,” so named because of our uniform. In the central supply, we sanded off burrs on needles and checked for holes in gloves before they were autoclaved. There were no disposable items back then. A whole different world from now.

Karen Delcioppo

College of Charleston Center for Creative Retirement

Curriculum chair 

 

Kristi Turner - Santa’s helper: Managing photos, fun, and Christmas chaos

Nostalgia alert: my first job was being a Santa’s helper at Valley View Mall in Roanoke, Virginia. The one-hour photo store in the mall was our employer. My job was to greet the customers, manage the line, take payment for the photos, and hand out photos after they had been processed by the store. For two Christmas seasons, my best friend Tammy and I worked there and did some shifts together, which was fun for us. I learned the importance of showing up to work because it would really stink when a co-worker wouldn’t show up on time (or at all) and I had to do the work of two people, but we would always get through the day and night! I also learned to smile and be nice even though some of the people in that line were not so nice and smiley. Most notably, I learned that not all kids liked to sit on Santa’s lap –  the volume of some children’s screams was deafening to this 16-year-old’s ears!

Kristi Turner

The Daniel Island News

Newspaper carrier

 

Terry Haas - Retail associate: Finding the right fit

My first job was at The GAP. I was 16 years old. I was in charge of helping the customers find the right outfits and running the cash register. I fell in love with sales – now instead of jeans and T-shirts, I sell homes!

Terry Haas

32 Properties

Owner and real estate agent