Logan Hedges

Dressed as “H-E-B Buddy,” senior Logan Hedges entertains shoppers during a shift at H-E-B. Hedges has fun on the job, as there’s significantly less pressure than other jobs he has had. “I [used to umpire] little league baseball, and it’s definitely less stressful,” Hedges said. “There’s not much [that can go wrong] scanning groceries. Making a bad call in baseball is so easy.”

“Hello, how are you?”  He says to yet another customer. It’s all a part of the routine he had been trained on. Sometimes the customer responds and sometimes they don’t. Regardless, he is just glad that he has a job that he likes, and knows other students his age feel the same way.

H-E-B is a Texas-based supermarket chain. It is known for its convenient pricing and immense quantity of goods and services. However, something unique to this chain is that many of its store employees are in high school. The H-E-B at Lakeline and 183 is no exception, with many students from a variety of grade levels under employment. According to senior Logan Hedges, who works as a cashier, the lack of pressure on H-E-B workers and  ease of the job is why he decided to work there.

“I [used to umpire] little league baseball, and [working at H-E-B] is definitely less stressful,” Hedges said. “There’s not much [that can go wrong] scanning groceries. Making a bad call in baseball is so easy.”

For many students, extracurricular activities take up most of their weekly schedules, causing conflicts to be a recurring issue in terms of when they are scheduled to work shifts. Senior Olivia Ward, who has worked at H-E-B for just under two years and is a member of the Celebrities dance team said the store’s handling of students with busy schedules is what drew her in.

“I had a friend that worked at HEB, and she told me about how they were super flexible with availability and scheduling,” Ward said. “So, I thought it would be a good place to get a job at.” 

A workplace that respects student schedules is also important to Hedges, as he is heavily involved in school activities, including baseball. He believes that working at H-E-B is a good first job for students.

“It’s definitely an awesome job to get when you’re turning 16,” Hedges said. “It’s a job you can have all throughout high school.”

Considering that the local H-E-B serves much of Cedar Park, running into someone you know while shopping is common. However, there are also some “interesting” characters that make their presence known in the store. For Hedges, that is just a part of the fun.

“You never really know what kind of person you’ll run into there,” Hedges said. “Literally everyone goes there to get groceries.”

Ward also appreciates the social aspect of her job.

“[I like] that I get to talk to so many diverse [groups of] people each shift,” Ward said. “[I] like hearing their stories.”

For those interested in applying, applications to work at H-E-B can be found on the store’s career website.