Teaching was a second career for me. I got into teaching through an alternative track, so I had to learn to “build the plane while it was already flying.” JA was there to save the day!

I met the incredible JA staff members who helped me connect what I was teaching to real-world concepts and to excellent volunteers who visited my classes. The JA Stock Market Challenge and JA Titan simulations, JA Finance Park, and JA Job Shadows helped bring my classroom alive. These experiences helped shape me as an educator. I quickly learned that students seemed to thrive in real-world, project-based simulations.

I am grateful for these early connections and experiences. I would not be the teacher I am today without JA!