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A report by The 74 follows Jessica Navarro-Davalos, a Paterson, New Jersey, student who worked through high school while attending a private school in a wealthier community. She said the job helped her pay for transportation, contribute to household costs and save for college, but long shifts left her with little sleep and affected her schoolwork. Navarro-Davalos graduated in 2025 and enrolled at Northeastern University.
Jessica Navarro-Davalos, a Paterson, New Jersey, student who worked as many as 20 to 30 hours a week while attending a private high school, described how she managed school, paid work and support for her family in a report by The 74. Her account highlights the demands facing students who have to earn money while keeping up with school and planning for college.
Navarro-Davalos received a scholarship to attend a private high school in North Haledon while she was in ninth grade. The school was about 10 minutes from her hometown, but she told The 74 that the difference between the two communities made her feel out of place. She described being the only Latina in her honors classes and hearing remarks about her background, including a classmate’s comment that she “spoke taco” after she spoke Spanish with her father.
She began babysitting and tutoring at about age 14, then took a part-time job at Starbucks during her junior year. During her junior and senior years, she often worked closing shifts and tried to study during lunch. She said she typically finished homework after work, sometimes staying up until 1 or 2 a.m. after shifts ending at 11 p.m. She estimated getting about five hours of sleep on many nights and said she sometimes fell asleep in class.
Her earnings helped cover a bus pass and college savings, and she said she gave her parents about 10% to 20% of her paychecks for rent or other expenses, although they did not ask her to contribute. Navarro-Davalos said the combination of work and school was exhausting: when some grades fell from A’s to B’s, she felt she was choosing between studying and earning money for basic needs. The 74 reported that she graduated in 2025, enrolled at Northeastern University and plans to study political science.
Work Hours Shaped School and Sleep
Navarro-Davalos’s account shows how a student’s responsibilities outside school can shape both academic life and well-being. Her late work shifts left limited time for homework and sleep, while the income helped pay for transportation, family expenses and future education. Those pressures were not separate from school: they influenced how much time she could spend studying and how she experienced her peers.
The report also describes a contrast between her life in Paterson and the more affluent community where she attended school. Navarro-Davalos said classmates’ spending and travel plans underscored differences in family resources, while some peers did not understand why she contributed to household costs. Her experience offers a personal example of how financial circumstances can affect a student’s sense of belonging, as well as the practical choices behind grades and college preparation.
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From Paterson to North Haledon
The 74 presented Navarro-Davalos’s story as part of “Barriers Before the Bell,” a special report about obstacles students face before arriving in class. Reporter Jessika Harkay said she contacted more than 100 students across the country for the project. The account focuses on one student’s experience rather than establishing how common the same combination of work, family contributions and school pressures is among teenagers.
According to figures cited in the report, more than 20% of Paterson residents live below the poverty line, and the city’s median household income is about $56,000. The report contrasted those figures with North Haledon, where it cited an average annual income above $125,000 and a poverty rate below 4%. Navarro-Davalos said that difference was apparent in classmates’ clothes, vacations and understanding of household costs. These figures provide background to her account; they do not, on their own, explain every student’s experience in either community.
Navarro-Davalos also founded Stars NJ, a nonprofit offering free tutoring to children from low-income households. The report says she started it at 16 with help from a mentor and remains involved. She described her work and schooling as part of a longer-term goal: studying political science, becoming a lawyer and eventually pursuing a career in politics.
What One Student’s Account Cannot Show
The report centers on Navarro-Davalos’s experience and does not establish how many high school students work similar hours, contribute to household expenses or face comparable pressures. It also does not provide independent records of her work schedule, grades or sleep; those details are presented as her account. The story does not specify the amount of her scholarship, the total cost of attendance, or how much financial aid she received for college. It is also unclear what support, if any, her school offered to students working substantial hours.
College and Continued Work in Paterson
Navarro-Davalos graduated in 2025 and enrolled at Northeastern University, where she plans to major in political science. She told The 74 that she hopes to become a lawyer and later work in politics, with the goal of improving conditions in Paterson. The report does not give a specific timeline for those career plans or describe her current work schedule. It says she remains involved with Stars NJ, which provides free tutoring to children from low-income households.
Key Questions
Who is Jessica Navarro-Davalos?
She is a Paterson, New Jersey, student whose experience balancing high school and paid work was reported by The 74. The report says she graduated in 2025 and enrolled at Northeastern University.
How many hours did she work while in high school?
Navarro-Davalos described working 20 to 30 hours a week during a period when she was balancing school and paid employment.
What did she use her earnings for?
She said her pay helped cover a bus pass and college savings. She also contributed about 10% to 20% of her paychecks toward household expenses, although she said her parents did not ask her to do so.
What did she plan to study in college?
The report says she enrolled at Northeastern University and planned to major in political science. She hopes to become a lawyer and later pursue a career in politics.
What is Stars NJ?
Stars NJ is a nonprofit Navarro-Davalos started at 16 with help from a mentor. It offers free tutoring to children from low-income households, and the report says she remains involved.
Source: the74million.org
