am excited to share the remarkable impact that Junior Achievement (JA) has had over its fifty-plus year history in Alaska, as told by alumni from the program. JA has consistently empowered young people in our community through proven programs on financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and workforce readiness… and it works. In their own words:

JA was fun! I joined JA at Holland Christian High School in Holland, Michigan. It was the ’80s, as a matter of fact. And I think JA was a natural fit for me. It really fueled my ambitions going into college.

After a couple of JA meetings, a small group of us started our business. The first project we brainstormed was to sell Christmas trees. We researched tree farms and talked to each farm about minimum orders and how much money we would have to come up with up front. We asked how soon we would need to pay for the trees in full. We talked a few of our parents into loaning us some money to get started. And after we studied the logistics, we placed the order. We were all there to meet the semi in our high school parking lot, and we proceeded to sell all those Christmas trees for a hefty profit.

I still recall writing the checks to pay for the trees and to pay back our parents. The hoots and hollers after announcing our profits were hilarious. I was hooked! The whole process was a blast! From brainstorming, financing, ordering, and unloading the big truck, the goofy camaraderie that went into handling the trees and prepping them for the daylong rush was worth the payoff. All the local families were geared up, bubbly, and amped for the holidays.

I participated in JA for the rest of high school, and I definitely attribute some of my own confidence and drive to the spark that JA kindled. I met a bunch of crazy friends, made some cool unforgettable memories, learned many of the basic fundamentals of business, and made a little bit of money. We sold a bunch of widgets and school spirit items over the next few years and stayed current with the local happenings. We learned that starting and running a business could be stressful and hard work, but also, when you’re having fun and working hard with a group of people who share a common goal, business can be true joy.

After I graduated and “sold my shares” of our company, I received a nice check. Although I’m sure it wasn’t much in the whole scheme of things, it wasn’t nothing, and was a great tip off into the real world. JA is a great place to take risks, share rewards, and learn about teamwork. I encourage kids to join their local JA groups and try it out. I think small businesses are the backbone of what makes this great country of ours so amazing.

I think I was about twelve years old when JA came to my school and presented the opportunity to participate. I joined up and was intrigued. We formed a group, and several ideas were presented that we could try. Our group chose to create and sell custom embossed matchbooks. Imagine a group of twelve year olds making matchbooks! I think all of our profits went up in smoke.

The experience was empowering. Our team made decisions about the products, production, and selling. I remember being surprised about how much latitude we were given, and I loved learning and being part of the entire process. Since JA, I have started several personal endeavors and also been an owner in a couple of small businesses. The experience with JA helped to shape a belief that, if I had an idea, I could go out and try to execute it, no matter how big or small.

When I was a senior at Dimond High School, we had the opportunity to participate in a program at King Career Center [now King Tech High School], which offers a variety of courses that include a lot of hands-on experience. The class I chose was focused on entrepreneurship. We started the day operating the onsite coffee shop and then headed to the classroom.

Regularly, a JA volunteer (George Gates) would come into Mrs. Chambers’ class. I think our project that semester was coming up with a business plan from start to finish. He made it really fun, and I remember everyone being really engaged and invested in everything, from what the business name would be to what the product was that we were going to market. Students, high schoolers especially, can get burned out on regular classes like pre-calculus and chemistry, so it is great to have alternative experiences available.

As an adult, George encouraged me to get involved as a volunteer with JA. Hopefully, when I am in the classroom, the kids have as much fun as I remember having.

I participated in JA during high school, where a volunteer came to my class and led a business simulation. Hands-on experience seeing how adjustments to supply and pricing impacted financial results taught me core principles of economics and business that stand true today.

More recently, as a JA volunteer, I can see when a student has an “aha” moment like I did in high school. Understanding business and personal finance is more important today than ever. Thank you, JA, for bringing these concepts to Alaska’ youth.

My JA story begins my junior year of high school, when I arrived in Alaska and needed an after-school activity. I joined “Dimensional Doormats,” a high-school-level JA company made up of students from across the Anchorage School District.

Over the next fifteen weeks, we completed an entire life cycle of a business: forming up, electing officers, capitalizing the company through stock sales, choosing a product, completing a marketing plan, acquiring resources, turning them into finished product (in this case, cedar slotted doormats with Alaskan animal stencils), selling the product, and finally, liquidating the company and paying our shareholders a rate of return.

Our company was extremely successful, turning an initial $2 investment into nearly $30 for each share. We were named not only the Alaska “Company of the Year” but also finished in the top five in the nation. We received this award at the National JA Conference (NAJAC), held each year (at the time) at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. While there, I got to engage with 2,000 other students from across the Western Hemisphere and rub shoulders with business leaders including Lee Iacocca and Donald Trump.

The next year, many of the same students formed “Jump Start,” selling Arctic-grade jumper cables and safety kits. That company was even more successful, with an initial $2 investment returning $43 at liquidation, resulting in a 3rd place finish at NAJAC in the “Company of the Year” contest (out of nearly 30,000 JA company programs from across the world that year).

JA helped shape my future like nothing else available to me in high school. After graduating, it was easy to give back. During college, I began volunteering in classrooms, and I joined the statewide JA board of directors my first year out of college. In all, I spent nearly twenty-five years on the board and taught nearly 200 classroom kits to kids from grades K–12.

There’s nothing like JA in the nonprofit world. If you want to make a difference in kids’ lives, consider a donation to the organization or come out and teach a class. The kids will love you, you’ll get to share your stories and experiences with them, and Alaska will be better off because of your time, talents, and treasure.

Access to financial literacy education through JA of Alaska is something I was fortunate to receive every year in elementary and middle school. With the help of dedicated staff and volunteers, topics from personal finance to entrepreneurship were introduced and built upon each year.

Four years after my last JA program in the classroom, I learned about JA’s new summer camp, JA Biz Camp, and their need for counselors. I saw this as a chance to be part of a new JA initiative and contribute to an organization that had taught me so much.

After training and first aid preparation, the first Monday of camp arrived, and we were checking in campers. I was assigned to work with 3rd–5th graders, nervous and unsure of what to expect. As counselors, we were tasked with equipping our campers to design and plan their own business or product and preparing them to pitch to local business leaders on the last day of camp. I had prepared myself for kids who would be more interested in snack time than financial lessons; instead, I was met with eager, engaged leaders and creative minds ready to tackle some of the real-world challenges we face.

We had future party planners, a drive-thru soup shop team, and even an aid-kit designer aiming to help the homeless in Anchorage. By the end of the week, I was blown away by the potential of each camper and excited to meet the next group, all thanks to the opportunities JA provided. Each week brought a new group of students, just as impressive, showcasing a future generation of inspiring Alaskans. JA has been an integral part of my educational and personal development, and JA Biz Camp reminded me of its potential to impact other young Alaskans as well.