Kai | Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City

Kai Somasegaran, an eighth-grade student at Oakhill Day School, shared how his Junior Achievement experience expanded his horizons. “The Junior Achievement career fair gave me an insight into what different jobs would be like.” Kai was excited to hear from professionals working in a few of the careers he could one day pursue. The speakers’ wisdom helped relieve the worries about careers Kai had been carrying. “What really stuck with me is that you don’t have to know what you want to do at this age.”

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.