70 Years of Impact: Stories That Shape Junior Achievement

Looking Back: A Former JA President’s Journey with Junior Achievement

Susan Ploeger, Former JA of the Heartland President

My JA Story
I graduated from the University of Iowa in 1978 and, that same spring, moved to the Quad Cities to begin my first job with Junior Achievement. Little did I know that I would fall in love with the JA mission, the young people it served, and the community surrounding it. What began as my first job became a passionate and rewarding 17-year career.
 
After serving for two years as the JA Company Manager, followed by managing Project Business, I became President of Junior Achievement of the Quad Cities in 1983, a position I was privileged to hold for 12 years.
 
When I began working with JA in the late 70’s, Junior Achievement was best known for its original after-school evening program. High school students actually organized and operated their own small companies with the guidance of volunteer business advisers. I fondly remember driving from high school to high school in the evenings, visiting the JA companies and getting to know the energetic, entrepreneurial students and their advisers. Trade fairs were also a big part of the experience, often held in local malls where students proudly displayed and sold the products they had created.
 
During my tenure, Junior Achievement began a major shift toward classroom-based programs, and participation grew exponentially. More schools and educators began partnering with JA and welcoming business professionals into their classrooms to teach students about work readiness, entrepreneurship, financial literacy and the free-enterprise system. During those years, programs included Business Basics for fifth- and sixth-graders, Project Business for eighth-graders and Applied Economics for high school students. Eventually, the traditional evening JA Company program was discontinued as classroom programming became the primary focus.
 
It was also an exciting period of growth for fundraising and community recognition. The first JA Bowl-a-thon and the first JA Golf Tournament were launched during those years, both becoming longstanding annual fundraisers. The Quad Cities Business Hall of Fame, founded through the leadership of Hunt Harris, also became an important tradition, honoring outstanding business leaders whose contributions helped shape our community.
 
One of my most memorable experiences came in the early 1990s, when I had the opportunity to travel with Vinje Dahl and Hunt Harris to Tallinn, Estonia, to help create an international partnership between Junior Achievement of the Quad Cities and Junior Achievement of Estonia. Estonia had only recently regained its independence following decades of Soviet rule. We shared JA teaching materials and ideas with Estonian business leaders and the program’s newly hired JA staff as they began introducing young people to entrepreneurship, free enterprise and the principles of a market economy. It was an extraordinary experience and one I will always treasure.
 
After 17 meaningful years with Junior Achievement, I decided it was time for a new chapter, and our family moved to Burlington, Iowa. My husband and I became entrepreneurs ourselves, launching Ploeger Recruiting Services, an executive search firm serving Iowa manufacturers and hospitals. We successfully operated the business for 28 years before retiring three years ago.
 
Even after leaving my professional role with JA, I remained deeply involved with the organization in Burlington. I helped strengthen the local JA board and volunteered to teach the newly developed elementary school programs. One of my favorite memories was teaching the first-, second-, third- and fourth-grade JA programs in my youngest daughter's classrooms.
 
Looking back, I am incredibly grateful for the people who made those years so meaningful. I had the opportunity to work with and learn from dynamic and committed board members, and I was fortunate to be surrounded by a talented staff who worked tirelessly alongside me.
 
Most of all, I will always be thankful for the hundreds of volunteers who gave their time, energy and real-world experience to Junior Achievement. They brought the world of business to life for generations of young people throughout the Quad Cities and surrounding communities.
 
Junior Achievement was much more than a career for me. It helped shape who I became, introduced me to extraordinary people, and gave me the privilege of watching young people discover possibilities for their own futures. I will always be proud and grateful to have been part of it.