On the eve of Labor Day weekend, the White House in the United States released a video featuring several of President Trump’s cabinet members reminiscing about their first jobs as teenagers and the life lessons they gained from them.
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer began by recalling her high school days when she couldn’t afford a cheerleading uniform. Her first job was working in a fruit packaging plant in Hanford, California, where she worked 12 hours a day. She said, “I lost 15 pounds from that job, learned everything there is to know about peaches, and to this day, I still love peaches.”
Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins mentioned that his first job was as a janitor at a local supermarket called Big Star. What started as a temporary job for him lasted for five years from high school through college.
National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard reminisced about delivering newspapers in Honolulu, Hawaii, where her parents instilled in her a strong work ethic from a young age.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin talked about his first job at a local library earning close to minimum wage before advancing to a retail cashier. He fondly remembered being promoted to supervisor of the shirt department with a 50-cent raise per hour.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared that his first job was as a lifeguard at an indoor swimming pool where his mother worked.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recalled his time working at the reptile house at the Washington Zoo, where he fed reptiles, cleaned cages, wiped glass, and even polished brass railing.
Kennedy emphasized that this experience taught him that “details determine success or failure, and no matter what you do, you should strive to do your best.”
The video concluded by expressing the government’s commitment, under President Trump’s leadership, to create opportunities for everyone who wants to work and help them achieve the “American Dream.”