Canyon Vista Middle School Entrepreneurship Mentor Reflects on Volunteering with JA

And why you should consider joining him in the classroom.

Austin (community) this is my personal invitation asking you to get involved with exposing & educating young adult students toward entrepreneurial learning. It's a wonderful and meaningful way to give back to our Austin business community and create the next generation of SMB rising stars and leaders. I have been committed to JA since 2016.  

Junior Achievement is looking for 30 volunteers for the fall semester. I have been at Canyon Vista Middle School (Spicewood Springs and 183) one of the the Round Rock Middle Schools for 8 years. JA will be in 11 campuses this coming school year. Suzannah Gravatt is the Austin District Director so please reach reach out to her if interested.  https://www.jacentex.org/ja-volunteer

Your time commitment starts with picking a day in the week that works best for you. Class time is 50 minutes. You will select either a middle or high school and if like past years we will start in early October and end in mid April.

Junior Achievement has a 6 week module in the fall which is an "Intro into Entrepreneurship" called JA It's My Business. Each week, with your ID and password JA provides a manual, slides, video's, Q&A and self help support for the 6 sessions which are: Entrepreneurs - Market & Need - Innovative ideas - Design & Prototype - Testing the Market - Seek Funding and It's My Business get them ready for the 13 week JA Company Program session.  

Junior Achievement's Company Program is the spring semester and is 13 weeks long. In past years we start just before the December two week break enabling students to come back in January ready, willing and able. Again, as a volunteer and with your ID and password, you will provide direction and give the students the necessary leadership information, guidance and direction to run a company.

It's a heartfelt experience seeing 12 to14 year old 8th graders become stake holders by investing their own money from $5 to $50, and with your direction and experience select a product or service, create colorful flyers, descriptive sales order forms, source the product, manage inventory, create a business banking account, sell and distribute inventory, encouraging the Leadership Team to hold weekly "report out sessions" from the 5 departments focused on "what have we done last week" and "what do we need to do this week" to stay on plan, let their objectives and then dissolve the company and pay stake holders back their investment plus the profits of their business enterprise experience.  

At Canyon Vista Middle School the 5 departments are Finance, Marketing, Sales, Supply Chain and Mgmt & Leadership. Class size is from 20 to 26 students and after they complete the aptitude assessment you and they will break themselves in to 5 groups of 3 to 5 individuals in each department.  

Adding your business & personal experience and then seeing individuals become team players and contributors has been one of my year-over-year rewarding accomplishments. This past year my class selected Animal Grams, little fuzzy animals with a hook to attach to backpacks. They sold them for $3 each and 2 for $5. They funded their business with close to $400 and after paying their expenses, netted a 100% net profit in 13 weeks.  

Thanks for your interest and please give this some serious consideration. We need you, your network and your neighbors to make this the BEST EVER year for JA Austin. 

 -Ed Stillman, Senior Chair Vistage, Austin Texas

Jack E. Kosakowski Retiring as CEO of Junior Achievement USA After 50-Year Career; Jack Harris Named Incoming CEO

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 16, 2024

Contact: Ed Grocholski, Junior Achievement USA ed.grocholski@ja.org, (719) 540-6165

Colorado Springs, CO – It was announced today that on June 30, 2024, Jack E. Kosakowski will retire as President & CEO of Junior Achievement USA (JA) after a 50-year career at JA. He will be succeeded by Jack Harris, current President & CEO of 3DE National, on July 1, 2024.

Starting as a student in the Junior Achievement program in Toledo, Ohio, Kosakowski attended the University of Toledo on a Junior Achievement scholarship. Over the years, he served as President of JA in Toledo, President of JA of Wisconsin, and in several leadership positions at JA Worldwide, Junior Achievement’s global parent. He was named President and CEO of Junior Achievement USA in 2007.

During Jack Kosakowski’s tenure with Junior Achievement USA, the organization engaged approximately 3.5 million volunteers in delivering JA learning experiences to nearly 70 million students. Some of his accomplishments include the digital transformation of JA’s learning experiences, strategic organizational and financial changes that strengthened the entire Junior Achievement organization, and his leadership through one of the most challenging times in JA’s history during the pandemic. Junior Achievement is in the strongest position it’s been in its 105-year history as a result of Jack Kosakowski’s leadership.

"Throughout my five decades with Junior Achievement, I've witnessed the transformational power of equipping young people with the skills and confidence to shape their own futures,” said Jack Kosakowski. “This organization has been a beacon of hope, helping students around the world unlock their potential, pursue their dreams, and contribute meaningfully to society. As I step into retirement, I am deeply proud of the impact we've had and the countless lives we've touched. I look forward to seeing Junior Achievement continue to inspire and empower generations to come. Having worked with Jack Harris for over twenty years, I am confident that he will lead the organization to achieve even bigger and better results."

Jack Harris established 3DE Schools in 2019 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Junior Achievement USA. Before this, Harris served as President & CEO of Junior Achievement of Georgia for 10 years. His Junior Achievement career began in 2002 when he joined JA Worldwide as its Director of International Operations. He holds a degree in Politics and a certificate in Political Economy from Princeton Universityand spent parts of his early career in both education and business. Harris will assume the combined roles of CEO of JA USA and 3DE National with the planned consolidation of leadership between 3DE National and JA USA on July 1, 2024

“Junior Achievement has unparalleled scope and scale for delivering comprehensive education solutions that accelerate economic opportunity and mobility for young people. Jack Kosakowski has set a tremendous legacy of leadership, and we are fortunate to be able to build on that momentum,” said Jack Harris. “I’m excited for the opportunities ahead of us, and thankful for the many incredible team members, partners, and stakeholders who join with JA daily to drive meaningful impact and differentiated value in communities across the country.”

About 3DE

3DE is focused on systemically reengineering high school education to significantly expand economic opportunity for all students. Through integrated public-private partnerships, 3DE uses case methodology to redesign learning and create academic environments that are more relevant, experiential, and authentically connected to life beyond the classroom walls.

About Junior Achievement USA® (JA)

Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA learning experiences are delivered by corporate and community volunteers and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Additionally, Junior Achievement is expanding its reach to 18-to-25-year-olds to provide young adults with critical life skills, as well as to pre-K youth to ensure children get a solid head start. Today, JA reaches more than 4.4 million students per year in 102 markets across the United States as part of 12.5 million students served by operations in more than 100 other countries worldwide. Junior Achievement USA is a member of JA Worldwide.

For more information, visit https://jausa.ja.org/.

JA F.E.M. Forum 2024

What an inspirational day in celebration of elevating JA’s innovative education and discussing the importance of breaking down the barriers for women is underrepresented careers.

Not only was the event a success with all of our attendees for the compelling content, mentoring session, and delicious food but we raised close to $100,000 which will propel the mission of JA in to the 24-25 school year!

This full circle event also includes the opportunity for adult attendees from the business community to mentor students through a JA activity. This year, in partnership with Experian, we had students work on the 5-3-1 goal setting challenge that also served as the kick-off to a $15,000 or $5,000 scholarship opportunity. We had 60 students join from Anderson, Travis, Weiss, and Navarro High Schools.

About: JA F.E.M. Forum (Financial Equity Mission) is JA of Central Texas’s educational fundraising lunch event to celebrate and empower women of all ages which includes:

• Connecting local business professionals and outstanding high school students for an interactive activity.

• Meaningful table conversations

• Compelling JA student speakers

• Panel discussion

• Networking

Each year we focus on different topics around financial gender inequities. Past years have included knowing your value and how to monetize it, growing wealth and long term planning, entrepreneurial equity, and ramifications of bias. This year, we explored careers and educational paths where women are underrepresented and celebrated the resilience and the paths created by women, like the ones on our panel, to help future generations of young women know there is a way forward for them in STEM careers.

Cheers to our fearless committee- Lisa Kottler, Tamra Jones, Anna Horndahl, Julia Knable, and Melissa Thomas for a your commitment to JA and helping to pave the way for more equitable spaces in education and in the career world.

Shoutout to our talented and thoughtful emcees Allison Miler and JC Estrada from CBS Austin morning news that volunteered their time and talents!

Much gratitude to our accomplished panelist of brave women that are paving the way for the next generation. Monica Muñoz Andry, Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, President and CEO, Donna Carter, FAIA, NOMA, NCARB- Architect and Founder of Carter Design Associates, Sinyale Woods, Principal at Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. | PE, MBA, and Christina Corona, Head of Operational Excellence / Chief of Staff Global Operations for National Instruments

Thank you, Partners, for making F.E.M. & JA possible!

TITLE SPONSORS

LEADERSHIP SPONSOR

INVESTMENT SPONSOR

EQUITY SPONSOR

#DeltaServes #ExperianJA

#OpportunityIsForEveryone

Questions about JA F.E.M. Forum?

CONTACT EMILY LONG AT EMILY@JACENTEX.ORG OR 512.710.5437

JA Students Travel to Baylor University for the Bear Challenge

Congratulations to our Austin Area teen entrepreneurs from Akins ECHS, Anderson HS, Northeast ECHS, and Travis ECHS! 🎉 They've just rocked the Bear Venture Ideation Challenge alongside Houston schools, hosted by Baylor University - Hankamer School of Business and the Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise!

Anderson High School Entrepreneurship Team

These young innovators unleashed their creativity by crafting and pitching innovative products and services to meet real-world needs. One team from Anderson HS proudly secured 3rd place and four teams received honorable mentions - they are testament to the vibrant entrepreneurial spirit of Central Texas!

Let's give a round of applause to our JA students and celebrate the boundless potential of youth entrepreneurship!👏

JA Finance Park

What an incredibly powerful and fun week of financial literacy and camaraderie for the middle and high school students from Webb Middle, Jubilee Academy, and Travis Early College High School. Thanks to our Educational and Business Partners, 491 students participated in JA Finance Park- a 32% increase from 22-23 with 75% projected growth during the 24-25 school year.

JA Finance Park is a testament to JA’s proven model to deliver the mission by providing not only our highly vetted curriculum but serving as the educational conduit for our business community and our schools.

For our volunteers from the business community this is the perfect mix of team building and philanthropy. Volunteers serve as mentors for the students, working together to serve our community’s young people. It is a highly impactful experience for both volunteers and students alike.

For our schools, this is a Texas Educational Knowledge Standards (TEKS) aligned, hands-on, and deeply meaningful experience with mentors where student learn the impact of their educational and career choices along with the tools to make sound financial decisions.

Together, we can deliver on the belief that Opportunity is for Everyone.

Thank you to Paul Gerling and Comerica Bank for their Title Partnership of JA Finance Park and helping the next generation to be economically empowered.

Shout out to our dedicated Day Sponsors!

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT STUDENTS TO COMPETE AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY BEAR CHALLENGE

AUSTIN, TEXAS, February 2024- Austin Area teen entrepreneurs will go head-to-head against Houston Area teen entrepreneurs at the Baylor University Bear Challenge

Twenty-five Junior Achievement (JA) of Central Texas students have been selected as finalists to compete at the Bear Challenge Venture Ideation Challenge on April 12 and 13, 2024 for cash awards. The students will travel to Baylor University in Waco, Texas for a two-day event to compete with twenty-five teen entrepreneurs from Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas. This venture challenge is a quick-thinking ideation to pitch challenge designed to have students think big while building confidence in their ideas.

The Austin students represent Akins Early College High School, Anderson High School, Northeast Early College High School, and Travis Early College High School. These students were selected because of their outstanding participation in JA’s entrepreneurship programs. Under the guidance of a volunteer from their local business community, they devised a product or service designed to fill an unmet consumer need. They produced a company concept, prototyped, worked on marketing their company then created a pitch to simulate a start-up pitch competition for recruiting investors for their company.

The student companies will be assessed on how they plan to solve their customer’s problem, business model, and pitch content and presentation. 

About Junior Achievement USA® (JA) 

Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. 

Visit www.ja.org for more information. 

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E2: Entrepreneurship & Empowerment 2023

We feel lucky to be a part of something so special- watching students leave E2 with their heads held high. We feel grateful to be in the company of our incredibly altruistic volunteers serving as mentors, coaches, and judges. We feel honored to be in the presence of such dedicated educators. We feel proud to have the continued support of the business community that helps to make events like E2 possible.

It is this collaboration of students, volunteers, educators, and the business community that makes JA so impactful, radiating opportunity throughout communities and ultimately the world. High school can be hard. It can really highlight disparities in access to the tools to support success after high school but here at E2 and at other JA experiences in and out of the classroom, young people gather the confidence and courage to believe that opportunity can be for everyone, even them.

Thank you to our esteemed judges!

It was a great event! My students got so much out of it. I saw real time transformation - especially with my freshman, going from being very insecure/nervous to confident and soaring! The coaching was incredibly helpful and supportive!! ~ Tracy Stephens, Educator at Austin High School

“My students really enjoyed the event and are very proud of themselves for getting up on stage.“ ~ Stephanie Matula, Educator at Weiss High School

Jubilee Academy Wells Branch

On November 10 JA worked with Dr. Dovie Williams and 9 first grade through fifth grade teachers at Jubilee Academy - Wells Branch to bring 17 JA trained volunteers from the community into the classroom to lead the JA curriculum and share their stories and professional experiences which plant seeds of curiosity and ambition, impacting over 175 students.

It was a pleasure to have JA and the volunteers on campus to spend the day with our students and expose them to wonderful and necessary financial, career and college material.  Thank you, Dr. Dovie Williams, GearUp site coordinator

 That was really fun, thanks for letting us participate! Harold Yochem, Keystone Bank volunteer

EY Connect Day 2023 at Travis Early College High School

In November at Travis Early College High School, our partners EY, as part of their EY Ripples Program led a series of one day classes in Career Readiness: Tools to find and get the job; Financial Literacy: Understanding Crypto Currency; Entrepreneurship - Developing a Lean Business Plan in 26 CTE and AVID classes, reaching over 600 students.

Working with JA is the best - I truly believe we created some sparks at Travis! Christopher Burns, Director at EY

Delta Job Shadow 2023

Our partners Delta Airlines hosted Ms. Jayma Vaughan’s Hospitality Students at the Austin Bergstrom Airport for a JA Job Shadow. Eight students received a VIP tour of airport operations behind the scenes providing them with more insight on the variety of careers in this industry.

This was truly remarkable! We cannot thank the JA team enough for your consistent and profound commitment to our students. Jayma Vaughn, Hospitality and Culinary Arts Educator

The New Volunteering Landscape

Much has changed since the pandemic, including the ways we work, but also the ways that we volunteer. While the emergence of Work From Home (WFH) and hybrid work models have impacted corporate volunteerism, a new generation of employees, many of whom had never previously volunteered in the workplace, has entered the workforce. To gain a better understanding of how Generation Z perceives volunteering in and out of a place of employment, Junior Achievement (JA) enlisted the help of research firm Ipsos to conduct a multi-generational survey on volunteering. These are the results of an Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Junior Achievement between June 8-12 2023.

Click the button below to read the full report.

Greater Austin Business Awards 2023

We are truly honored this year to be included as a finalist for nonprofit impact at the Greater Austin Business Awards!

Coming out of the pandemic, when we joined JA of Southeast Texas as a district to their area, we did not know where that would take us. Through the support of JASET, the growth of our Board, and the continued belief in the JA mission from our corporate and community partners we have been able to serve 18% more students this year, 100% more volunteers, 25% increase in deep impactful experiences, double the classes and brought a new experience to the great Austin area, JA Finance Park.

Cheers to all those in our corner, joining the mission to give the life-changing experiences of JA to more young people in Central Texas!

JA Enters 2024 Rose Parade with “The Beat of Achievement” Float

The UPS Store’s float showcases its support for future small business owners through Junior Achievement USA® and announces $3.6 million donation milestone

SAN DIEGO, OCTOBER 9, 2023 – After winning the “most beautiful float entry” award for three consecutive years, The UPS Store, Inc., returns for the sixth time to participate in the 135th Rose Parade® presented by Honda on January 1, 2024, in Pasadena, California. The UPS Store, Inc., will debut its artistic float, “The Beat of Achievement,” in line with the 2024 Rose Parade musical theme, “Celebrating a World of Music: The Universal Language.” The float will highlight the company’s Start Small, Grow Big program with Junior Achievement USA® in support of the next generation of entrepreneurs and small business owners.

“Thanks to the dedication of our network, generosity of our customers, and collaboration with Junior Achievement, we will continue to uplift our communities with our Start Small, Grow Big program illustrated at the Rose Parade,” said Sarah Casalan Bittle, President of The UPS Store, Inc. “Our float will strike a chord and have the audience and judges tapping their feet and clapping their hands to the beat of achievement.”

Since its inception in August 2022, the Start Small, Grow Big program celebrates surpassing $3.6 million in customer donations across The UPS Store® network of 5,100+ locations that help fund work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy learning experiences for school-aged children involved in Junior Achievement chapters in the United States.  

The UPS Store 2024 Rose Parade float highlights the accomplishments of young, aspiring business leaders from Junior Achievement. The spectacular entry features an animated 35-foot-tall crocodile rapping his way through Pasadena to “The Beat of Achievement.” As the croc’s hip-hop career takes off, a posse of pink flamingos cheers him on. A vibrant puffer vest decorated with custom-grown marigolds complements the croc’s scaly green complexion. The surrounding tropical paradise overflows with tens of thousands of Pink Floyd roses, and a dazzling display of orchids, bromeliads, anthurium and heliconia. The UPS Store integrates one-of-a-kind design, gorgeous floral presentation, and hi-tech animation for the ultimate wow factor.

 The float was designed by Charles Meier and will be built by Fiesta Parade Floats. "I’m so grateful to work with The UPS Store to bring their dynamic vision to life. This float showcases the importance of passing on entrepreneurial skills and financial literacy to today’s youth,” said Meier. “It communicates in a way that is fresh and fun for everyone. A hip-hop crocodile is a perfect example of how The UPS Store expresses imagination and their commitment to offering the very best.”

About The UPS Store
With more than 5,100 locations across North America, The UPS Store network comprises the nation's largest franchise system of retail shipping, postal, print, and business service centers. The UPS Store centers are independently owned and operated by licensed franchisees of The UPS Store, Inc., an indirect subsidiary of United Parcel Service, Inc., a Delaware corporation (although one or more may be company-owned). Services, prices, and hours of operation are subject to change and may vary by location. For additional information about The UPS Store, visit theupsstore.com. Follow The UPS Store on social media at @TheUPSStore, facebook.com/theupsstore, and instagram.com/theupsstore.

TikTok Challenge Winners Announced!

Thank you, Experian, for giving students a financial jumpstart on their college educations!

Experian awarded four JA areas $30,000 each in scholarships for JA students!

Students were asked, “What would you do with $100?”

They were tasked with figuring out the best use for the money. Investing? Taking a class? Starting a business?

Congratulations to Nour Zoweil, Angel Pineda, Judy Vo, and Tomas Sorta!

@baileemadison It’s time to announce the winners!! Congratulations!!! Your bright, thoughtful and beautiful minds were such a joy to witness while watching your videos!!!! Thank you to @Experian for letting me be a part of this challenge!!!! And thank you to Experian and Junior Achievement for celebrating the importance of financial education! #JAExperian #JA100 #ad ♬ original sound - Bailee Madison

H-E-B "Disney" Bowl-a-thon 2023

Twenty-two years and counting, H-E-B has been committed to the mission of Junior Achievement(JA). This year we had over 275 Partners from the Central Texas region come together at Highland Lanes to celebrate another successful year of supporting and fundraising over $26,000 for JA!

H-E-B’s company’s culture of acceptance, equity, and philanthropy creates a family of Partners (what H-E-B calls their employees). Year after year, everyone works together for the greater good, not just for JA but for so many organizations, schools, veterans, and marginalized communities to name a few.

For us at JA of Central Texas, it is so impressive how each store rallies each year for our bowl-a-thon to help our community’s young people have access to our life changing experiences. H-E-B goes above and beyond, not only do they fundraise for the bowl-a-thon, they also put informative JA posters up in their stores, invite JA students to be celebrated, show up at our schools to honor our educators, volunteer at other JA events.

What an honor to be included in this H-E-B family for the last 22 years.

As outsiders looking in each year at the H-E-B Bowl-a-thon, it is always so impressive how everyone creates the most fantastic costumes and cheer each other on as they bowl with high-fives aplenty. Most companies, when you say “team building,” it is not met with such enthusiasm, but at H-E-B this is the heart of their company culture. Everyone works together to make great customer experiences in the stores and rewarding Partner experiences at work and in their community.

Twenty-two years, WOW, thank you H-E-B!

Deloitte Impact Day 2023

Junior Achievement is immensely grateful for the invaluable opportunity to have Deloitte professionals share their time and expertise with us. We are thrilled that not only will we have Deloitte’s insight in data collecting and cleanup, assistance in stewardship, but business students from Bowie and Anderson High School participated in a JA Job Shadow at Deloitte. They learned more about Deloitte plus heard from various professionals about their career stories and advice to more effectively prepare for life beyond high school including what work looks like in the real world. Deloitte is an indispensable and dedicated partner continuing to help our mission to have young people, regardless of their current situation, reach their full potentials.

“Thank you so much for meeting with me on Friday for the Deloitte Impact Day! It was such a pleasure to learn more about Deloitte, the team, and the various positions within it. I'm very excited about this as a potential opportunity to join Deloitte or an organization providing similar services. 

 As I said at the beginning of our meeting, I thought this was a good chance to learn exactly what day-to-day work was like. I was right! It was a great experience with exactly what happened in the workplace, and I was pretty interested in the new methods I learned like hybrid and hotelling. In school they haven't quite caught up with the pandemic so they don't teach us how it has affected the office yet. I really liked being around for casual work conversations like the talk you had with Ms. Reid about billing hours. 

 I hope we can remain connected as I complete my studies at Texas A&M.” Dylan, Student from the Job Shadow

#ImpactThatMatters

JA Entrepreneurship Classroom Experiences

Students from across the greater Austin area had the opportunity to learn about and implement the skills they learned in JA entrepreneurship programs, JA It's My Business!® and JA Company Program® 

Students pitched big ideas and started and ran companies selling spirit buttons, custom Henley t-shirts, snacks, coffee at popup shops, and more! Participating in JA entrepreneurship experiences creates bold thinkers able to work in teams to solve problems. They learn about themselves, their strengths, and how they can lean on others for work that is not their strength.

It is these concepts of convergent / divergent thinking, design thinking, pivoting when things don’t work, problem solving that creates not only entrepreneurs but the future workforce for jobs that haven’t even been created yet.

Thank you to Austin Independent School District, Oracle, AB Private Credit Investors, and H-E-B for all you do to make these opportunities possible.

Thank you to all of our amazing entrepreneurship volunteers. This is no easy task to take on for our volunteers to allocate 2+ hours (with Austin traffic) each week for 7 to 15 weeks but they do! They step up and show up for our community’s young people. We are alway so inspired by their dedication to helping the next generation.

Congratulations, Maryam! EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ program scholarship

Anderson High School Junior, Maryam Zoweil’s, star is shining bright! We at JA and EY are so proud of your grit and determination to reach your full potential!

Maryam has taken all of the JA lessons she learned from her mentors, Greg Quarles and Destin Bell to not only propel her own entrepreneurial endeavors but to inspire other Anderson students. She is a leader amongst her peers and is a great role model for young people - when you lean in and say yes to learning new things, you will be closer to the future you envision.

From Maryam-

“My primary company is Teengage, a career exploration application that provides students from 14-18 years of age to discover local opportunities in their area of interest and connect to local volunteer organizations. This application promotes youth engagement in their communities and ensures a steady labor force of talented and skilled teenagers looking to develop professionalism and gain first-hand experience. Through Teenage, businesses and programs are able to advertise their open positions/opportunities to their target audience on a user-friendly, customized, and clutter-free platform. So far, I have developed a fully functional prototype for this app using the development tool Figma and pitched the concept at the Junior Achievement of Central Texas Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Summit at the Capital Factory, winning first place overall. Through the next year, I hope to continue working on developing this app, surveying the target audience, and making it available to high school students in Austin and (eventually) beyond. I have further translated the skills I have developed through creating a start-up concept (Teengage) into creating a coffee shop business at my school.

Founder of the Junior Achievement Company Program Club at Anderson High School, I have led our 14-member club in establishing a coffee shop that sells drinks to students in the morning. In just four weeks, our profitable business has made over 80 sales and provided students at Anderson High School with the opportunity to learn invaluable skills in marketing and finance that we would not have been able to learn in the classroom. I believe that my experience in these two companies encapsulates what it means to be a young entrepreneur and my passion for making a positive change in my community through entrepreneurship.

My primary goal after high school is to use my experiences in data analytics, equity-centered design, and business to pursue a major in business and a minor in Computer Science at a top 20 business school. I am passionate about pursuing education in these two fields because of my dedication to finding innovative ways to solve common problems. I am confident that a future in the fields of tech and business will help me achieve my all-time goal of building and managing an innovation that helps improve the standard of living for underprivileged communities around the world.

I’ve taken several business-focused classes during my time in high school but one quote that stood out to me most and convinced me that this is the field for me was “If you can sell, you can do anything.” I believe this quote encapsulates the entrepreneurial spirit of hard work and ambition that I highly value. Pursuing a career within the intersection of business and tech will not only support me in channeling my creativity but will also allow me to take advantage of the ever-growing field of technology in order to discover even more innovative solutions for our world’s most pressing problems.

After college, I hope to strengthen my experience with business by working in a corporate setting for a few years and then using the skills I develop to start a social enterprise. My ultimate goal is to become a successful entrepreneur. Becoming an entrepreneur would not only satisfy my driven and creative character but also my ultimate motivation to create something bigger than myself through social entrepreneurship.”

JA in a Day at Oak Springs!

Once again, Frost Bank, under the direction of Betty Davis came together to give two days of JA for the young people at Oak Springs Elementary School!

Junior Achievement’s elementary school curriculum suite follows the progression of social studies themes and topics. Families, community, economics, civics, and geography intersect with JA’s Pillars of Student Success: financial literacy, work and career readiness, and entrepreneurship to enhance student learning. JA’s kit-based curricula support academic growth, experiential learning, and 21st-century learning skills.

JA in a Day at Guerrero Thompson Elementary

Long time educational partners, Guerrero Thompson Elementary welcomed us and our volunteers back to their campus to have a full day of JA for their students.

JA Days are a great experience for both student and volunteers. This is an easy way to get involved helping young people. Elementary children LOVE their volunteers and the educators are appreciative of this impactful day for their students.

JA’s elementary school programs are the foundation of its K-12 curricula. Six sequential themes, each with five hands-on activities, as well as an after-school and capstone experience, work to change students’ lives by helping them understand business and economics.

Thank you to all the Guerrero Thompson Volunteers!

We are grateful for all the volunteers from CNA, Capital One, Dimensional Fund Advisors, Encore Bank, Frontier Investment, Hancock Whitney Bank, Marsh McLennan, Regions Bank, and Simmons Bank!

Thank you for being part of our JA village!