In 2002, I was working at Citigroup in the credit card division, Diners Club. Every month, our office hosted information sessions about community involvement opportunities. One month, I attended a Junior Achievement (JA) session to learn more about volunteering, and I was hooked. I signed up that very day.
I didn’t have JA in elementary, middle, or high school, and I truly wish I had. After high school, I thought I wanted to be a forensic psychologist — I was fascinated by crime shows and loved trying to figure out who did it and why. I enrolled at Colorado Mesa State University in Grand Junction and took a crime scene class. That was the moment I realized: I absolutely could not handle it. I pivoted to study counseling to become a high school counselor instead.
Honestly, I didn’t know what I wanted to do or who I wanted to become. Looking back, I know that JA could’ve helped me discover that future version of myself so much earlier
While working at Diners Club, I used my lunch breaks to volunteer at nearby schools. I taught every JA program available, received a JA Apple Society Award for inspiring over 1,500 students, and eventually became the JA coordinator for our office.
In 2007, I joined JA full-time as an Education Manager, and I’m still here. I continue to work for this incredible organization because it fills my heart. I see firsthand how JA strengthens communities, generation after generation, and how it empowers students to discover their potential and find their path forward.
