Thomas Pierre Louis is a high school senior who doesn’t seem to be an afternoon person. He had to be woken up for this interview because he’s a man that values his sleep. As a senior, Thomas is looking ahead to life after high school, whether that involves college, working, soccer or something else. Because of his easygoing attitude, he is able to roll with whatever comes his way, even if it disrupts his preferred schedule.
The interview has been edited and condensed.
I’ve heard that you work at Panera and that you’re a part of the soccer team at Pace?
Yep.
So how did you get into Panera? What do you do at Panera?
I just applied and Panera was the first one to respond. For now, I just wash dishes.
Are there any downsides of working at Panera?
Yeah, because sometimes co-workers don’t match the energy I bring out.
How do you balance work and school?
Mainly, I just bring in different mentalities.
As far as soccer, how is it going for you?
Right now, we’re just trying to keep ourselves in form.
How do you manage to put work and soccer together?
Sometimes, I’ve had my shift switched to start when practice starts. However, I have to choose work first since it is a bigger priority, I guess. I can actually, you know, get fired.
As a student, does Panera provide anything that supports you?
They give me freebies throughout the week. I don’t work the whole week because I’m in school and I only work weekends.
