A generational hustle: Students in the family business

Capping the 75-gram Tetra bottle of feed, she says to the customer next to her: “The endangered humphead wrasse is one of the largest reef fish in the world. I was able to snorkel with Wally the Māori wrasse in the Whitsundays, where he is known to be a true friendly giant.” Knowledgeable about various different marine life facts, senior Krissie Pongvattanasomporn shares her expertise as a full-time daughter, part-time worker at Jan’s Tropical Fish.

Pongvattanasomporn has worked at Jan’s Tropical Fish in Montclair, her father’s fish store, since April 2024 when they opened. She spends her time at the store every weekend from when the place opens at 11 a.m. until it closes at 6 p.m.

The store is often busy during the weekends; as a result, Pongvattanasomporn is responsible for multiple jobs: managing the register, getting fish for customers, unpacking deliveries and taking care of the fish.

“A lot of people might feel hindered to have this responsibility of helping their parents because they can’t pursue other things,” she said. “My job is very fulfilling. I feel at peace and feel like this is where I’m meant to be. My interest in fish makes me like this job, but I enjoy being able to help my family out.”

According to Pongvattanasomporn, this experience is similar to paid internships many students are able to take at different hospitals or firms. Both her parents are always working and do not have the time to take her elsewhere; therefore, she makes use of her time by taking the best she can out of this job.

“Whenever I have free time, I’m working at the fish shop. My brother has a car and my grandma has a car, so we just can’t fit in another [for myself]. I wouldn’t be able to take myself to an internship everyday,” Pongvattanasomporn said.

To manage her academics, Pongvattanasomporn brings her unfinished work to the store and completes it during her lunch break. Because both her parents and her brother work with her at the shop, she is more comfortable with bringing her work to the front desk so she can answer any questions customers may have.

Pongvattanasomporn has always been enamored with marine life as a child. Her father had taken care of fish since she was young; therefore, she grew up in an environment surrounded by what she loves the most. When she was 10-years-old, Pongvattanasomporn had gone scuba diving in Thailand and was immediately captivated by the fish she saw swimming around her. This was the moment she knew marine life was one of the best discoveries of her life.

“Being underwater with the fish is totally different from looking at them through a tank or snorkeling from above,” she said. “I didn’t ever get to experience what it was like to be amongst the fish, amongst the coral reefs and see them up close and firsthand. The feeling of breathing underwater because you have an oxygen tank and being able to swim freely makes you feel like you’re one of them, so I thought that was really interesting.”

Growing up, Pongvattanasomporn moved around a lot, but her father always made sure to station either a saltwater or fresh water tank in the house. Currently, Pongvattanasomporn has a Paska rainbow fish, two chili rasboras, two galaxy rasboras, a clown killifish, platinum rice fish, black rice fish, five pygmy corydoras, seven shrimp varying in color and a ramshorn snail.

“[The job] has been a big learning process. I thought I knew a lot before working there but there’s so much to know, so much about different species from different parts of the world. Sometimes customers ask me questions and I don’t know the answers to them, but it’s fun to hear their experiences, what they specialize in and what they enjoy taking care of,” she said.

Before Jan’s Tropical Fish, Pongvattanasomporn used to work at her family’s Thai restaurant, Bangkok BBQ, in Walnut before they sold the ownership last spring. She compares working in a restaurant with “hungry people” to working at Jan’s “relaxed” and “calming” environment as totally different. However, because of her family’s familiarity with marine species, they were able to adjust smoother to the new environment.

“[Last spring] was a stressful time for everybody, especially with an hour drive [to Montclair] and back. Jan’s has been a reset for all of us and I see my family much happier now,” she said. “I always thought about what it’d be like to work a different job, and I don’t think I have a preference.”

Through her experience in the store, she has learned how to manage her responsibilities and juggling multiple things at once. For instance, with one of her main responsibilities being to take care of the different fish, she must treat them with caution while also balancing customer requests and inquiries.

“Being with your family is a little bit more comforting. You’re less afraid to make mistakes and ask for help. You can also kind of mess around with them a little bit more than you could if you had a traditional boss or traditional coworkers. It’s a very good environment to be working in and I’m grateful,” she said.