70 Years of Impact: Stories That Shape Junior Achievement
Honoring the Past, Shaping the Future of JA
Lysa Hegland, JA of the Heartland President & CEO
 

To me, 70 years of Junior Achievement is really 70 years of believing in the potential of young people. The programs and the world around us have changed tremendously, but that belief has remained constant.

As the newest President of Junior Achievement of the Heartland, I have a tremendous amount of respect for the Presidents and leaders who came before me. I inherited an organization with a remarkable legacy, deep community relationships, and a mission that has stood the test of time. My responsibility is to honor that legacy while making sure JA continues to evolve for the students and communities we serve today.

Our young people are preparing for a future that looks very different from the one many of us grew up in. They need financial literacy. They need career exposure. They need to understand how their interests and talents connect to opportunities in their own communities. And, perhaps most importantly, they need adults who believe in them and help them see what is possible.

That is why I believe the next chapter of JA is so exciting. We don’t simply want to celebrate 70 years; we want to use this milestone to look forward. If the first 70 years were about building the foundation, I want the next chapter to be about building an even stronger future for young people across the 24 counties we serve.  

I feel incredibly fortunate to be the person who gets to carry the torch at this point in JA’s history. I see myself as a steward of a 70 year legacy and a builder of what comes next.

I respect what was built before me. I also know that we can’t assume that what worked yesterday is exactly what young people need tomorrow. Our responsibility is to keep listening to our students, our educators, our businesses, and our communities and to make sure JA continues to evolve with them. And I’m incredibly excited about what's next for Junior Achievement of the Heartland.