How would you describe your job? Make the coffee, refer customers on which lotion to use when tanning. It's kind of like bartending where you have to be friendly to the customers. You have your morning rush with the coffee and the parents coming in getting their coffee and then in the afternoon you have the school girls come in.

(ENLARGE)

Amber Ballance, age 25 Elizabeth City Graphic designer Barista & Tanning Bed Operator, 6 months

Has your job been affected by changes in technology or other changes? No, not really. There are different coffee machines, and they have different settings.

Besides salary, what benefits do you derive from your work? None.

What are the long-term or indirect benefits of your job? I enjoy talking to the people, the girls, knowing what's going on at the school because a lot of the store revolves around what's going on with the school if they're out of school or on spring break. Just interacting with the customers and getting to know the customers.

How do you see your job benefitting the larger community? They (students) do come in and hang out after school. (It's) somewhere for them to hang out after school where they're not getting in trouble.

— Diana Mazzella