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Jillian Butler is graduating from Days Creek Charter School on Friday. She played volleyball, basketball and softball, is on the student council and is a member of FFA. With all that, she still finds time to drive from her home in Canyonville to work at Dutch Bros. on Northeast Stephens Street in Roseburg. She even works some mornings before her classes.
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ENLARGE
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Jillian Butler of Days Creek spikes the ball in a game against Elkton last September.
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DAYS CREEK — Jillian Butler just didn’t have enough to do.
The 18-year-old senior at Days Creek High School spent all day in class, served as the school’s student body president and was a standout player on the Wolves’ softball, basketball and volleyball squads. She also participated in FFA.
Still, there was something missing. So a month ago, Butler went out and found a job at a Dutch Bros. coffee outlet at the corner of Northeast Stephens and Alameda streets in Roseburg.
Since her afternoons were already taken up with softball practice and games, Butler opted for the early shift at Dutch Bros. She arrives before 5 a.m. to help open on school days, meaning she has to wake up by 3 in order to get ready, grab a bite to eat and drive the 30 miles to Roseburg from her home in Canyonville.
Her first two weeks involved on-the-job training. Since completing the training, she has been scheduled for weekend hours in addition to the early shift.
After less than three hours on the job each morning serving up lattes, mochas and other high-powered coffee drinks, Butler, who prefers Red Bull energy drinks to java, hits the road again to drive to school in Days Creek.
“I needed a job and summer is coming up, so I figured I might as well get one now,” Butler said, laughing during an interview between customers last Saturday morning.
One of Butler’s motivations in finding a job is to save enough money to buy a car. Before she starts college in the fall — at either Umpqua Community College or Western Oregon University in Monmouth, where the self-proclaimed “teeth freak” plans to study to become a dental hygienist — she wants to find a car that’s reliable and gets good gas mileage.
“I wanted to work to accomplish something on my own and when I get that car, I know it’s something that I worked for,” Butler said.
The senior had a car that she was driving to her job, but it broke down. She then borrowed her mother’s car, but was in an accident last week that totaled that vehicle. She ended up bruised but not seriously injured.
For the last week, Butler has had friends who have driven her to work early each morning.
“I’ve been using my tip money for gas,” Butler said. “I’m making minimum wage so I’m not making much, but it’ll end up paying off.”
Butler plans to move to Roseburg in June after graduation and that’ll put her closer to her job and make it easier to work more hours.
Butler is a Days Creek native and lived there until she was 5. Her family then moved to Glide, where during her four years there she fell in love with Colliding Rivers, the confluence of the North Umpqua River and Little River. It’s a place she still likes to visit.
The 18-year-old senior at Days Creek High School spent all day in class, served as the school’s student body president and was a standout player on the Wolves’ softball, basketball and volleyball squads. She also participated in FFA.
Still, there was something missing. So a month ago, Butler went out and found a job at a Dutch Bros. coffee outlet at the corner of Northeast Stephens and Alameda streets in Roseburg.
Since her afternoons were already taken up with softball practice and games, Butler opted for the early shift at Dutch Bros. She arrives before 5 a.m. to help open on school days, meaning she has to wake up by 3 in order to get ready, grab a bite to eat and drive the 30 miles to Roseburg from her home in Canyonville.
Her first two weeks involved on-the-job training. Since completing the training, she has been scheduled for weekend hours in addition to the early shift.
After less than three hours on the job each morning serving up lattes, mochas and other high-powered coffee drinks, Butler, who prefers Red Bull energy drinks to java, hits the road again to drive to school in Days Creek.
“I needed a job and summer is coming up, so I figured I might as well get one now,” Butler said, laughing during an interview between customers last Saturday morning.
One of Butler’s motivations in finding a job is to save enough money to buy a car. Before she starts college in the fall — at either Umpqua Community College or Western Oregon University in Monmouth, where the self-proclaimed “teeth freak” plans to study to become a dental hygienist — she wants to find a car that’s reliable and gets good gas mileage.
“I wanted to work to accomplish something on my own and when I get that car, I know it’s something that I worked for,” Butler said.
The senior had a car that she was driving to her job, but it broke down. She then borrowed her mother’s car, but was in an accident last week that totaled that vehicle. She ended up bruised but not seriously injured.
For the last week, Butler has had friends who have driven her to work early each morning.
“I’ve been using my tip money for gas,” Butler said. “I’m making minimum wage so I’m not making much, but it’ll end up paying off.”
Butler plans to move to Roseburg in June after graduation and that’ll put her closer to her job and make it easier to work more hours.
Butler is a Days Creek native and lived there until she was 5. Her family then moved to Glide, where during her four years there she fell in love with Colliding Rivers, the confluence of the North Umpqua River and Little River. It’s a place she still likes to visit.
Her family then moved back to Canyonville where Butler has resided since the fourth grade. She lives there with her mom, Moira, and her sister, Jackie, 15, a Days Creek freshman. Her dad, Robert, lives in Tiller.
As student body president, Butler said she tried to get more students involved in school activities. She said she was only partly successful in that endeavor, but enjoyed the challenge.
Among Days Creek High’s faculty, Butler singles out English teacher and counselor Robin Trask for having the greatest influence on her. Trask took an interest in her and urged her to make good choices in her life.
“She’s kind of watched me over the years,” Butler said. “I struggled a lot my freshman year on what I wanted to do, if I wanted to get in the party life or if I wanted to kind of step out and like do my own thing and do what I should do. I just wanted to make a difference, so I decided to get more serious about school.”
Trask described Butler as “incredibly dedicated” and said it was easy to help her. She said Butler also has a deep sense of giving back to the community and that will continue to guide her.
“She’s definitely very driven. She does everything,” Trask said. “She’s a very special young woman.”
On Friday evening, Butler, who earned a 3.45 GPA during her four years at Days Creek High, will graduate as the school’s salutatorian. She will be joined by 16 graduating classmates at the 7 p.m. ceremony in the school gymnasium.
Although attending a small school means there’s little privacy because everyone knows each other and word travels fast whenever something happens, Butler said there’s a certain closeness among students and staff members that couldn’t be matched in a larger school.
“It’s like being around a large family,” she said, smiling.
• You can reach reporter John Sowell at 957-4209 or by e-mail at jsowell@newsreview.info.
As student body president, Butler said she tried to get more students involved in school activities. She said she was only partly successful in that endeavor, but enjoyed the challenge.
Among Days Creek High’s faculty, Butler singles out English teacher and counselor Robin Trask for having the greatest influence on her. Trask took an interest in her and urged her to make good choices in her life.
“She’s kind of watched me over the years,” Butler said. “I struggled a lot my freshman year on what I wanted to do, if I wanted to get in the party life or if I wanted to kind of step out and like do my own thing and do what I should do. I just wanted to make a difference, so I decided to get more serious about school.”
Trask described Butler as “incredibly dedicated” and said it was easy to help her. She said Butler also has a deep sense of giving back to the community and that will continue to guide her.
“She’s definitely very driven. She does everything,” Trask said. “She’s a very special young woman.”
On Friday evening, Butler, who earned a 3.45 GPA during her four years at Days Creek High, will graduate as the school’s salutatorian. She will be joined by 16 graduating classmates at the 7 p.m. ceremony in the school gymnasium.
Although attending a small school means there’s little privacy because everyone knows each other and word travels fast whenever something happens, Butler said there’s a certain closeness among students and staff members that couldn’t be matched in a larger school.
“It’s like being around a large family,” she said, smiling.
• You can reach reporter John Sowell at 957-4209 or by e-mail at jsowell@newsreview.info.
