Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain (JA) is proud to announce the winners of the Michael E. McGoldrick Personal Finance and Economics scholarships. Both scholarship recipients participated in the JA High School Heroes experience and will receive a $5,000 award towards their post-secondary education.
Mason Wilson: Economics Scholarship Recipient
Mason Wilson is a recent graduate of Pueblo West High School and will attend Colorado State University Pueblo in the fall, where he will study Economics with an emphasis in Finance. After participating in JA High School Heroes for the first time his sophomore year, Mason was asked to be his class’s lead coordinator for the program during his junior and senior years, where he played a huge role in expanding JA’s reach through the JA High School Heroes program to all five public schools in Pueblo West.
“While the whole point of this program was to make an impact on students and our community, I think the students and this program made just as much of an impact on me,” said Mason. “Being able to connect with younger students, serve as a role model with my high school to the underclassmen, and see the excitement and impact we helped build showed me how meaningful leadership and community involvement can be. The best feeling is the level of impact shown after two years of countless hours working to expand this program and make a difference.”
Mason didn’t have much of a chance to interact with high schoolers while he was an elementary student. He says this experience connecting with younger students changed his perspective on not just how he can make a difference in the community, but also on what his future could hold.
“Before being a part of Junior Achievement, I was very confused about what life after high school looked like for me. I’ve never been a fan of sitting in a classroom and hearing lectures after lectures, so college wasn’t a big option,” said Mason. “Junior Achievement opened my eyes to focus on learning more about finance, economics, and business, broadening my knowledge and inspiring me to be a financial advisor.”
Aiden Martin: Personal Finance Scholarship Recipient
Aiden Martin graduated from Westminster High School this spring and will be attending Colorado State University in Fort Collins in the fall. Aiden was very involved in the community throughout his time in high school, including being a JA Student Ambassador at the Colorado Business Hall of Fame for the last three years, as well as being a JA High School Hero during the spring semester of his senior year. During the program, he taught JA curriculum to 5th graders at Colorado STEM Academy, the same school he attended and received JA programming.
“It was an amazing experience,” describes Aiden. “I just remember seeing things click for the students, and it was really cool getting to teach them about money and business, just as I was taught back when I was their age.”
Aiden plans to study business administration at CSU with concentrations in management and human resource management. He describes himself as a goal-oriented person, with one of those goals to become a homeowner. Aiden’s participation in JA’s learning experiences, including JA Finance Park, presented by Transamerica, taught him the importance of investing his hard-earned money in order to have the future he wants.
“JA Finance Park was where I realized how expensive life can be, and that’s where I learned how to manage my money, balance what’s important to me, and how important saving really is,” said Aiden. “I believe those skills that I have developed will allow me to live a successful life where I am financially happy. It will help me accomplish my goals.”
About Michael E. McGoldrick: Michael E. McGoldrick was a life-long learner, a curious intellectual, and inspiring teacher with a photographic memory and genius at financial mathematics. He worked as an economist, consultant, development director, teacher, portfolio manager, and retired as a successful private investor.
