Park City teenagers savor their summers

Kate Beal at Yellowstone Falls. Photo: Kate Beal

PARK CITY, Utah. — Park City is home to 8,580 individuals, many of whom are teenagers. Park City teenagers spend their summer breaks doing various activities ranging anywhere from working long shifts to touring different countries. How have the teenagers of Park City been spending their summers this year?

“Summer is a time for happiness and hopefulness,” says upcoming senior, Mary Davis. Davis has started up a new job this summer.

She acknowledges that her getting a job has helped her with her journey to adulthood. “I think getting a job has really made me see how the world works and the responsibilities of being an adult.” Davis also attended a motocross race in Colorado this summer.

Upcoming Park City High School senior Lizzie Richarson discusses how she has helped out her community this summer. “I have taught a bunch of three-year-olds how to dance at my dance camps at my studio.”

Richardson has not only assisted in teaching children how to dance, but she has also attended a service trip in Nicaragua where she helped rebuild a family’s house. “We built a house for this family who had lost their previous house …the ocean basically washed their house away.” Storm surge is the abnormal rise of water that typically occurs when there is a large tropical storm. Storm surges may cause damage to property and human life. Richardson expresses her gratitude for the trip stating, “It felt good to do something for someone else and know that we were helping them have a permanent solution to one of their big life problems.” Richardson leaves with one final piece of advice for anyone looking to enjoy the rest of their summer and beyond. “Live in the moment, you have to enjoy it while it’s still there.”

Native New Jerseyan, Briana Miller, spends her summers in her hometown of Ocean City where she spends her time at the beach and explores surrounding states. This summer, given that she is a rising senior, Miller has visited several universities including that of West Chester University, Montclair State University, and The College of New Jersey. Miller is focusing on enjoying this summer in New Jersey before her intended move to a college campus next summer.

Student and entrepreneur, Tatum Boxley, has started a company where she helps professionally organize houses. She also nannies two boys, a five-year-old and an eighteen-month-old. Boxley has visited many states this summer including Illinois, Indiana, and Oregon. She is also planning on traveling to California where she intends on touring college campuses such as Point Loma Nazarene University and San Diego State University. Boxley has learned the important lessons of going with the flow and letting things go this summer. She is excited about next summer where she plans on working in an orphanage in Peru.

Park City High School 2021 graduate, Fischer Caplin, is getting ready to move into his campus at Brandeis University where he plans on studying economics and Latin American studies. He has gone on a couple of trips including one to Michigan and one to southern Utah.

Soon-to-be senior, Katie Jordan, adventures throughout Utah and beyond this summer. During the second week of summer break, Jordan went on a rafting trip with her family on the Green River where she went through the Gates of Lodore. The Gates of Lodore is the entry to the Lodore Canyon. “It’s one of the only places in the world without light pollution,” Jordan shares. Many people travel to this location to witness the clear skies and scenery the area has to offer. Jordan writes that her favorite part of the trip was going on a hike in Echo National Park. She was able to examine petroglyphs and visit a small cave. The cave served as a spot for Jordan and her family to cool off. “We stepped in finally getting out of the heat and it felt like air conditioning,” Jordan exclaims. Jordan vocalizes that her trip to the Green River was truly amazing.

Park City High School student, Kate Beal, traveled to Iceland, Washington, and Yellowstone National Park this summer. She also plans to visit her sister who is attending school in Colorado Springs. Given the circumstances with COVID-19, Beal claims that she pays more attention to when she is able to travel and see her family. She expresses her gratitude for the opportunities she has had to do activities that make her happy.

Football player and student, Derek Alejo Barrios, has been able to play in a few seven on seven football tournaments. He and his teammates were even able to win a championship. He has enjoyed his summer with his friends and is getting ready for the upcoming football season. He has been spending time on his landscape and construction job this summer. Alejo has learned how to drive a manual transmission this summer. He likes how the sun has been setting later and all of the sunsets in Park City. He has enjoyed his summer saying, “It’s been super fun with all my friends and family and just everything I’ve done so far.”

Soon-to-be junior, Piper Milner, went to New York to her friend’s lakehouse. She likes to spend her summers hanging out with friends, going to different parks, having picnics, and driving around playing music. She looks forward to attending the Sunday Silly Markets each summer sharing, “It’s always fun bringing the community together.”

Another soon-to-be junior, Molly-Mae Sims, visited New York, Maine, and Bear Lake this summer. She checked out some colleges in Maine, visited New York City, and went to the beach during her trips to New York and Maine. She has been enjoying the new opportunities that have come with her getting her driver’s license.

For Park City teenagers, summers call for a lot of different activities. Sims shares, “Summer means just being able to relax, and travel, and make new friends, and hang out with old friends.”

Whatever summer means, Park City teenagers sure do make the most out of them!