Many students spend their free time trying to make some extra cash. Whether by making food, waiting tables or selling clothes many jobs are repetitive and can be rather dull. But for junior Melissa Sabados, working at Olympiad Gymnastics as a Tumble Bee/Progressive Instructor, feels like home.

“I love it here, the staff is like family and playing with the kids feels like I’m playing with my little sister,” Sabados said.

Olympiad offers Sabados changes in her normal day of work, which makes her job different and unique from many part time jobs.

“Once you greet the kids and their parents, I take them into the gym for a warm up which usually involves  a giant parachute,” Sabados said. “After we’re done with warm up we go around completeing different stations that go with the theme of each week. Lastly the kids all get stamps and we sing ‘the Bumble Bee’ song right before they leave.”

Although the kids are always entertaining,  Sabados said the part that makes her the happiest is the praise she receives from the parents.

She said, “When the parents come up to me and tell me how much their child really loves the class it makes me feel like I’m making a difference.”

Being a Tumble Bee allows Sabados to let her creative side flow because it’s all about making a fun and creative experience for the children attending.

“It’s less about learning how to do the perfect cart-wheel, and more about making sure the kids enjoy themselves with their friends while building confidence and learning basic gymnastic skills,” Sabados said.