The current youngest lifeguard of Oceano State Beach is one of our very own Eagles. You might run into Jack Canigiula in class if you take the following courses: AP Calculus AB, AP US History, Spanish 3, AP English Language, and AP Environmental Science. 

A student-athlete for the spring and fall, he often is brought back to his job while playing beach volleyball. 

He spends his days on the sand, always close to the base, the lifeguard tower. 

“[It’s the] same stretch of beach… probably five miles down the beach [from] Oceano,” Canigiula said. 

His treasured time on the sand will end soon as Canigiula transitions into preparation for the indoor volleyball season come spring.

During class, Canigiula often finds himself thinking about his job on an average school day.

“It’s pretty different from what goes on in school,” Canigiula said.

“[I] work just over the weekends,”  Canigiula said.

Though the towers have now been stored away for the winter, his spirit for the job resides anywhere available. 

During the lifeguarding season, an average shift consists of driving up and down the beach in the patrol truck “The Unit.” However, for rookies like Canigiula, most of their time is spent in the tower for the duration of their first two years.

During the off-season, he could work in an average pool yard. But Canigiula chose a much more glamorous site.

“I’m working at Hearst Castle,” Canigiula said. 

Usually, his shifts are “long and lonely” however, on those exceptional days for Canigiula, he works with his friends and enjoys what he does.

“Getting to see all my coworkers every day… is cool,” Canigiula said. “Getting to see everybody daily and building that connection with all the different people is cool.”

“I have a few friends that are also 17, but they’re a little older than me. Most [of my coworkers] are in college,” Canigiula said. For Canigiula, meeting a variety of people is one of the greatest perks of his job. 

While Canijula is still a lifeguard, he is nonetheless one of AG’s academics.