Author: Makenzie Morris
Community Involvement
Published:
Thursday, 01 Jan 2026
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From 1997 to 2024: A 30-Classroom Journey with Junior Achievement
Mike Huntley, Group O
"Group O has long been a big supporter of Junior Achievement, and soon after joining the team in August of 1996, I was encouraged to volunteer in the classroom for JA. Giving back to the community I grew up in felt right, and if Group O supported a cause, I did as well.
I don't recall exactly what year I started teaching. It was 1997 or 1998, and I taught an early elementary class at Horace Mann Elementary. I was a little nervous for the first class, but I found it was fairly easy, and JA prepared me with the appropriate resources. Next semester I taught at Edison Junior High with Ms. Erickson, and she made the classes so easy to manage and worked with me at times to help with the lessons. From that point on, every class I taught was with Ms. Erickson. We taught together until 2024 when we both retired. Early on, I sometimes taught fall and spring sessions, so I imagine I have completed 30 or so classes over the years.
I really enjoyed visiting the classroom. The 3rd and 4th graders were always a fun bunch that had little problem engaging, and the JA curriculum allowed me to teach some topics I am passionate about - budgeting, wants/needs, the evil side of credit, etc. The last class of the semester was always bittersweet. Every time I gained more and more appreciation for the tough job our educators have and was thankful for my career in IT! Ms. Erikson always had a batch of thank you cards created by the kids, and they were always a treat to enjoy back at the office. Every once in a while, a student I had previously taught would approach me somewhere in town (like a Rocky game) and say hello, and that never failed to make my heart smile."
The Lessons That Last: My Junior Achievement Story
Pauline Evans, Black Hawk College
As a junior in high school in 1977, I had no particular interest in business, but I did want to take advantage of extracurricular opportunities to learn, especially about how the adult world worked. One of those opportunities was Junior Achievement, which gave high school students the chance to form and run a miniature business. Our advisors, from Stanley Works (in New Britain, CT), helped us organize the company, which we called Vendex. They had done a lot of the work up front, providing an idea for a product, design, and machinery for making the product, ideas for company names, and, of course, education on how running a company worked.
We each bought shares of stock in our new company for $1 each and sold additional shares to our parents and their friends. We elected officers for the company, who then had what I considered the unenviable responsibility of getting a bunch of teenagers to work together and get things done. I had no interest in management, being much more comfortable as just another production worker. But I learned in the process much more than I had ever understood from just textbooks what it meant to invest in a company, and how revenues and expenses resulted in a profit (or loss).
I also learned that I did not ever want to go into sales, although I was able to sell a number of the denim tote bags we manufactured. (My mother used hers for years, until it finally wore out.) I also learned a lot about the difficulties of keeping a production line running efficiently when absence due to sickness (or otherwise simply not showing up) or inactivity due to chatting with friends, instead of getting work done, resulted in work piling up at one workstation because it wasn’t being processed at the next one. We could alleviate the problem somewhat by learning each other’s jobs, and eventually I think I knew all the steps from cutting fabric to finishing the bag.
I don’t remember how much I made as a production worker at a sewing machine, how much money Vendex made in the end, or what kind of return we were able to give to our shareholders. But I have never forgotten the hands-on introduction to business that Junior Achievement gave me, far more meaningful than anything I could have learned in a classroom.
About thirty years later, I had the opportunity to become a Junior Achievement classroom volunteer. It might not be like my own experience in Junior Achievement, but I wanted to do what I could to contribute to young people’s financial literacy. I have been a classroom volunteer on and off over the past fifteen years or so, working with students from first through sixth grade, and have presented several different JA programs. Since I only see the students five or six times, I don’t get much sense of how much they really carry with them from my presentations, but they’re learning something at least about money, the things we buy with it, and about different kinds of jobs and companies. And it’s given me the chance to share about my own experiences, from making my own greeting cards and selling them door to door as a young girl to studying abroad as a college student and gaining a new perspective on cultural differences and their significance for global trade.
Building Connections Beyond the Curriculum
Chris Ford, President & CEO of River Bend Food Bank
When I first agreed to teach a Junior Achievement class, I thought I was doing something for them—a small way to give back, share a little real‑world knowledge, and hopefully make economics and business feel a bit more approachable. What I didn’t realize was just how much the experience would end up giving me in return.
On that first day, I walked into the classroom with a mix of excitement and uncertainty. The students weren’t sure what to make of me either. There’s always a warm‑up period—those first few minutes of polite smiles, curious glances, and the unspoken question hanging in the air: Who is this person, and what is he doing here? But as with most meaningful relationships, it didn’t take long for the walls to come down.
By my second or third visit, everything felt different. The energy changed. The kids recognized me as soon as I walked in, and their faces lit up. We were genuinely happy to see each other. They knew I was someone who showed up, who cared, and who brought real stories from the real world.
At the time, I was working for Pepsi, and that turned out to be an unexpected advantage. Suddenly, business concepts weren’t abstract; they were connected to products they saw every day. I could talk about supply chains and marketing using examples they recognized from store shelves or the commercials they’d grown up with. Sharing stories from the beverage world made the lessons come alive. The students leaned in, asked questions, and connected the dots between classroom learning and life outside those walls.
A huge part of the experience was made easier by JA’s curriculum. Everything was well-organized, thoughtfully structured, and simple to follow. The preparation wasn’t overwhelming; it felt purposeful. Instead of spending hours figuring out what or how to teach, I could focus on connecting with the students—on making the lessons meaningful.
And somewhere along the way, something unexpected happened: I realized I was getting more out of the experience than I ever anticipated. There’s a deep, unique fulfillment that comes from seeing a student grasp a concept because you explained it. There’s satisfaction in watching them light up when they understand how the world works a little better than they did before. And there’s something incredibly grounding about stepping away from the daily grind to invest in the next generation.
Teaching that JA class didn’t just make an impact on the students; it made an impact on me. It reminded me why mentorship matters, why investing in young people is so important, and why sometimes the most meaningful rewards come from showing up, sharing what you know, and being open to what you might learn in return.
A Love Story Rooted in Junior Achievement
Mike & Stasia Brannon, Brannon Monument Co.
Junior Achievement has always focused on teaching the next generation about fiscal literacy and responsibility, market-based economics, and entrepreneurship. When we were in high school, the core JA experience was the evening program. It was there that we worked alongside students from all over the tri-state area, learning the basics of setting up real, working businesses.
I (Stasia) worked in companies that actually made and sold products—like a hanger that still hangs in my dad’s closet today. Mike was involved in the accounting and banking companies that supported those JA production businesses.
It was through the evening program, working with company sponsors and their employee mentors, that we truly realized the importance of community service. While we have always believed it’s important to be involved in the communities where we live and work, what we’ve received from that involvement has come back to us tenfold.
In business, you quickly learn that things often come full circle. Being honored as Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame Laureates has been especially meaningful to our family. Recently, our oldest daughter, Emily, began teaching basic economics in the JA Our Nation program.
The first lessons—and recognition—of our business knowledge began when we were young people in Junior Achievement.
The Power of Mentorship: My Journey with JA Titan
Don Schmidgall, Community Volunteer
Junior Achievement first approached our Business Education teacher, Ms. Skidmore, about participating in the JA Titan competition. My name was mentioned as a possible mentor – and that began my introduction to Junior Achievement and JA Titan. And what a ride it has been!
We started with four students and one team and experienced some early success. It didn’t take long for interest to grow. Today, we routinely have three to four teams and multiple mentors participating. Not only do we enjoy competing with other school districts, but we also have some pretty lively competitions among our own teams. And that’s good. As the adage says, “iron sharpens iron.”
JA Titan has been a valuable learning experience for our students. The simulation moves them beyond theory and into real decision-making. They develop a strategy, analyze data, and see firsthand how their choices affect outcomes. No two competitions are ever the same. Students learn to think on their feet and adapt to changing conditions.
Additionally, participating in JA Titan helps prepare students for life beyond school. They learn to interpret data, weigh options, and collaborate with their teammates. This experience also gives them exposure to the business world. I’ve had students share that their involvement in JA Titan influenced their decision to pursue further education and careers in business.
Over the past 16 years, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed mentoring. Personally, it’s rewarding to build relationships with young men and women and watch them succeed and grow. If you’re considering getting involved, I would simply say this: mentoring is a meaningful investment in the next generation. The impact is lasting – for the students and for you as well!
A Conversation That Changed Everything
Mary McClorey, TBK Bank
Mary McClorey, a Branch Manager at TBK Bank at the time, volunteered to teach Junior Achievement’s “It’s My Job” program in 2016 for juniors and seniors in United Township High School’s iJAG class. The JA curriculum focused on employability, leadership, and soft‑skill development which aligned perfectly with the class’s goals.
On the first day, Mary shared her own career journey from server at a restaurant to bank teller to branch manager of a bank. After class, a junior named Carlos Carlos approached her wanting to know how she made the transition into banking, as he was currently serving at a restaurant as well. Mary emphasized that while banking tasks can be taught, strong customer service skills, something Carlos already had, are invaluable in financial services.
Mary also told Carlos about TBK Bank’s summer internship program and encouraged him to apply. Despite the lengthy application, he completed it and was accepted. That summer, Carlos trained as a teller and worked at TBK’s Silvis branch, quickly proving himself to be an asset. TBK offered him a job pending graduation. He reapplied after earning his diploma and was enthusiastically welcomed back.
What began with one JA classroom connection sparked a professional relationship that has now grown over a decade. Mary and Carlos have each taken on multiple roles at TBK Bank, continuing a journey that all started with a JA lesson on career pathways and soft skills.
Ready, Set, Work! Celebrating 25+ Years of the 7th Grade JA Career Work Day & QCCTEC
QCCTEC Team
For over 25 years, the Quad City Career & Technical Education Consortium (QCCTEC) and Junior Achievement (JA) have partnered to provide special population students with transformative career exploration. Now led by Special Populations Coordinator Steve Smithers and the QCCTEC team, the annual 7th Grade Career Work Day introduces students to essential workplace skills in a highly supportive environment. This February 2026, 34 students from Wilson Middle, Northeast Junior High, Geneseo Middle, Cambridge Junior High, and Edison Junior High gathered for the event at the JA Inspiration Center in Moline.
The students rotated through immersive, 20-minute career sessions in Animal Care, Delivery and Mail Services, Grocery Store Operations, Banking, and Restaurant Work. Built on an engaging “learning while earning” model, the program empowered students to complete hands-on tasks while mastering vital soft skills like communication, teamwork, customer service, and time management.
Beyond just learning the ropes, the students got to experience the tangible rewards of employment. At the end of their shifts, each student was issued an actual paycheck. To access their funds, they were required to endorse the check with their own signature and take it directly to the center's bank to process. With their hard-earned wages in hand, the students experienced the thrill of financial independence, managing their money to shop for items at makeshift stores created specifically for the event.
The day also featured lunch from Jersey Mike’s and an interactive session with Weinert Music Therapy to foster community and connection. Made possible by dedicated volunteers from QCCTEC, JA, the Quad City Animal Welfare Center, and Weinert Music Therapy, the event was a remarkable success.
After more than two and a half decades, this initiative continues to be a powerful catalyst for personal growth. Students gain invaluable insight into the workforce, leaving the Inspiration Center with newfound confidence, independence, and the inspiration to explore their boundless potential.
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