Seeing a high school student working at Taco John’s, Long John Silvers or McDonald’s is not out of the ordinary. No one would think twice about it. The iPhone App store, however, is not one of those usual places. Nevertheless, senior Devin Shoemaker has taken up the art of application design. Everyday, Shoemaker leaves school early to work on his applications at home. The applications are then sold on the Apple App store, where Shoemaker receives a portion of the profit. Unfortunately, for small-time app designers, there isn’t much profit. “Well, I usually sell apps for a dollar each, and I make $100 to $500 a month,” Shoemaker said. “It’s not really a full time job.” Shoemaker makes up for the low pay with a second job at Taco Bell. Of course, he does not intend to create apps on a small scale forever. Someday, he hopes to expand to Android, PC and even game console programs. For now, he is focused on iPhone apps. “I’m still learning,” he said. ”I’ve made what I could.” He is learning app design from online sources and books. So far, he has only made basic programs, like the “Pocket Strobe” and “Fortune Cookie.” “Ideas usually just come to mind randomly,” Shoemaker said, although sometimes he gets ideas from others. Currently, he is working on a puzzle game. Shoemaker said that he just started and the details are not fully worked out. “Basically, right now the game is about trying to trap a peg on a board,” he said. Shoemaker said his desire to make games got him into programming. It was not until he purchased an Apple computer that he thought to design for the iPhone. “I got an Apple,” Shoemaker said, “and made many apps.” This change in his life’s direction has earned admirers. “People are usually impressed,” Shoemaker said, “and usually some people think it’s cool.” One such admirer is marketing instructor Jason Crawford. “It’s very innovative,” Crawford said, “really shows what students can do with passion.” Crawford said that this experience provides Shoemaker with invaluable experience. “He can’t get this in a regular class setting,” Crawford said. “Like today, he was offered to work for an iPhone company.” Aside from this excellent experience, Shoemaker also enjoys his work. Shoemaker said he has fun making apps, and the money is an added bonus. He does not even mind if other hopeful students wish to crowd the iPhone App market. “If someone wants to they should,” he said. “It’s not too hard.” Shoemaker seems at the idea of sharing his hobby with others. He even has some advice for would-be app designers. “Take your time to learn,” Shoemaker said, “and don’t make things too quick.”