Daniel’s desire to get involved with JA led him to volunteer in a deeply personal and impactful way – serving as a Career Speaker at the Johnson County Juvenile Detention Center (JDC). Daniel shared his personal experience of being at JDC when he was younger, and how for nearly a decade, he’s been looking for a way to go back to share lessons learned and “pay it forward.” JA created an opportunity for Daniel to serve as a mentor sharing a connection with the youth through a lived experience.  As a teenager, Daniel was seeking guidance to find a path forward, but the system didn’t offer that as part of the rehabilitation process. “When I was there, there wasn’t a sense of redemption. There wasn’t a sense of bettering yourself. But for these kids, it’s different. JA’s giving them an opportunity.”  

Regardless of their differences, Daniel knows that a sense of belonging is what young people are seeking. By sharing his personal story, he saw that sense of belonging click, that maybe there was a future for these young people they didn’t see before. “When youth get a chance to realize there’s something different to do, and someone different you can be, regardless of decisions you’ve made in the past, we’ll have a better society as a whole.”  

Daniel reflects on his gratitude for the impacts Junior Achievement has on young people, sharing that he feels that Junior Achievement provides a head start for them. “Within a couple of years, students who participate in Junior Achievement will be on a completely different playing field than their peers.” He continues, reflecting on how middle school Daniel would have been had he had JA: “Had JA been a thing when I was young, I would have known that what I’m interested in could be a career path, and been confident in making that happen sooner.”  

“My favorite math teacher at Raytown South High School introduced me to Junior Achievement. I wanted to understand business, so I raised my hand. That year, I was the only student from my school who signed up for JA.”

“Once a week, my dad drove me to the meeting in Independence, MO, to participate in what was then called the JA Company Program. There, I met a mentor who changed the path of my life. By the second day of the program, I was hooked. Nobody else was learning these business concepts. The volunteer was a senior executive at a large department store and offered to be my reference when I applied for a job once I was 16.”

“Shortly after, that company offered me a job. I jumped at the opportunity to work in sporting goods and later the automotive departments, where I got a behind-the-scenes glimpse of an automotive business and where my JA curriculum would come to life.”

“Junior Achievement played a significant role in where I am in my life today. It gave me an early start and it means a lot to me and my family. Currently, I mentor other CEOs and businesses and enjoy seeing them on their entrepreneurial journeys. JA is helping me help future generations of entrepreneurs and I continue to pay it forward.”

“In Junior Achievement, our class had to pick a future career and research more about it. I picked zoologist, because I like learning new things and I like animals. Other kids in my class chose interior designers and lawyers. We also played lots of games and split into teams. JA was a lot of fun!“

“I was excited and nervous to get up and talk on the stage at the Hall of Fame event. I had to say my name, how old I was and what I wanted to do when I was older. I said zoologist and veterinarian. It was scary going up there, but I learned a lot.”

“Because of JA, I’m more excited about my future because I understand it more. Other kids should do Junior Achievement so they can learn what I did, about what to do when you’re older.”

“I’m ready for what’s going to happen after school, and I’m thinking about what colleges I want to go to. I feel like I’m going to better in life now.”

His budding interest was bolstered by a JA volunteer. “Talking to Scott Phillips helped a lot. He’s in private equity. It was a professional exposure you’d never get as a high schooler otherwise. Having the opportunity to ask questions at that age was huge.” Pursuing his passion, Hawkeye also put his JA skills to work at the student-run-storefront, “The Catty Shack,” named after the school mascot, the Jaguar. “Running the school business gave me the confidence to communicate with people in a professional setting. The basic concepts are so rudimentary to the world around us, yet many do not get much business or financial acumen. To have that foundation from JA plus the additional hands-on experiences gave me an extra boost. After that, I knew I wanted to start a business someday. Junior Achievement is what ignited my entrepreneurial spirit.”

Now Hawkeye finds himself at the next crossroads of his career. “I just graduated from Fordham University in New York with a Bachelor’s of Science in Finance with a concentration in Business Law and Ethics. I’m starting full-time with HSBC in their corporate bank, rotating through desks within the global liquidity and cash management business.” Junior Achievement champions played a major role in equipping Hawkeye with the tools he needed for success. Hawkeye wants business leaders to know one thing: “There are a lot of potential business leaders and youthful, new perspectives out there. If you can foster that energy and passion at a young age, you’ll see that reward when those professionals come through your doors.”

“We wanted to sell our goods on school grounds, but we had to get administrative permission. We wrote a memo about why we were starting the business, who was in it, what we needed from them, and what we were willing to do.“

Samaiyah’s startup was cut short by the pandemic shutdown, but she is confident the skills she learned from JA will equip her to seize on future opportunities. “My JA volunteers really supported me. They helped me further my business ideas and learn how to manage my finances.”

Samaiyah’s mother, Samara, is grateful for the tools passed onto her daughter through JA programs. “I never had that kind of business understanding as a kid. Junior Achievement stoked an entrepreneurial fire in Samaiyah! When she gets her chore allowance, she thinks about what she wants to do with it. How she can save it. How she can spend it. JA helped us have important conversations about money.”

Katie finds Junior Achievement’s curriculum to be a perfect fit for what she teaches kids in her classroom’s mini marketplace. “The third grade Junior Achievement program is geared towards money, business, and entrepreneurship. It adds another layer to what I’m already trying to teach them.” The synergy between her classroom economy and Junior Achievement reinforces important concepts at a critical age. “Learning about spending and saving is huge. Junior Achievement takes the things I’m trying to connect for them and pushes it further.”

For many of Katie’s students, their Junior Achievement experience is the first time they learn about the role money plays in life. “Some kids have zero concept of money at this age. Things just appear.” Junior Achievement provides important insights to deepen kids’ understanding of this world. “Now when they go to a restaurant, they will know the people serving them are at a job and that working is how people earn income.”

The impact of Junior Achievement volunteers goes far beyond teaching students about dollars and cents. “Having five weeks of lessons opens their mind. The exposure makes connections. it’s important for kids to see community members involved in education. It’s crucial that they see education is more than the four walls of this building,” Katie said. The value of this exposure goes both ways. “It’s also good for volunteers to see what happens inside the four walls of a school.” Katie encourages other educators to welcome Junior Achievement volunteers to their classrooms. “It gives a big-picture outlook on so many parts of life. If we didn’t do Junior Achievement, I’m not sure these kids would understand money.”

Kai’s Communication Arts teacher, Joy Jackson, shared that the past year has been a test on student’s ability to adapt. “I admire that these kids have survived, even thrived, through remote and virtual learning.” The opportunity to bring real-world experiences into her classroom remotely with Junior Achievement was one she couldn’t pass up. “I wanted my students to see real live adults who were doing real life things.” Miss Joy’s students learned that the path to success is rarely a simple journey. “To find out what speakers do on a day-to-day basis, why their job matters to their organization, and how they got there…that has a lot of value for kids,” she said.

Kai and his classmates got to see firsthand the wide range of backgrounds Junior Achievement volunteers brought to the virtual table. Miss Joy explained, “There was diversity of ethnicity, age, education and life experience. My students saw a representation of reality and of Kansas City.” Kai learned the strength that comes from diversity – a powerful lesson which will leave a lasting impression on his young mind.

“Motivated to give today’s students an experience like the one I had, I now volunteer with Junior Achievement – at the very same high school I attended, a school where students are challenged daily to survive the cycle of poverty.”

“I use my story to let the students know today is the starting point. I was saddened when one of the students shared a common belief throughout the halls of Northeast: ‘You don’t graduate from this school.’ Stereotypes and certain systems may discourage these young people, and some of these obstacles may cause them to think that achievement can’t be true. I continue to volunteer my time to inspire young people and help them see there is hope if they stay on the right path.”

“Junior Achievement established the foundation that I’m still building on today. It takes a community to help to build a community and I’m honored to be a part of the change.”