NATCHEZ &8212; Things other than making burgers and shakes are what Trey Wallace hopes to gain from his summer job.

Wallace, 18, a full time summer employee at The Malt Shop and life-long Natchez resident, recently finished at Trinity Episcopal School and hopes his summer job will only brighten his future.

&8220;I&8217;m trying to go to college so the money comes in handy,&8221; Wallace said of his 35-hour-a-week job. &8220;I have a girlfriend, play on two soccer teams and I have a full-time job. It gets a little hectic at times, but I like it.&8221;

Attending the Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson to study areas in computer science or engineering are in Wallace&8217;s extended goals. Saving money to put him in a position to reach those goals are the immediate plans, he said.

&8220;I really don&8217;t mind working. I like to say I work 35 hours a week,&8221; Wallace said. &8220;This way I don&8217;t have to ask for as much money. I like having my independence and learning.&8221;

Advantages of jobs for teenagers are numerous, but there are disadvantages too, he said. A daily routine for Wallace during a school year includes attending class from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m., working until 10 p.m. and closing the day with homework.

&8220;I&8217;ve learned the way working with other people works,&8221; he said. &8220;I&8217;ve learned a whole new way to interact and you can have friends and coworkers or you can have both.&8221;

Malt Shop owner Gloria Neames said employing younger workers always seems to work out well.

&8220;They do a real good job for us,&8221; Neames said. &8220;Sometimes with their school and lives it&8217;s hard to schedule, but all the kids I have are honest and very dependable.&8221;

The Malt Shop is one that has been open for more than 50 years and employs temporary positions, but also has an employee who has worked at Malt Shop for nearly 40 years, Wallace said.

&8220;Everyone that works here is like a unique family I guess you could say,&8221; he said.

Wallace has been working at The Malt Shop since August and as part of a school assignment and through constant work has memorized the menu and its prices and then some, he said.

&8220;Working for a boss that understands young people and their schedules is very helpful,&8221; Wallace said. &8220;There are always going to be advantages and disadvantages in working, but I like it.&8221;