70 Years of Impact: Stories That Shape Junior Achievement
The Lessons That Led Me to Junior Achievement
Barbara VenHorst, Former JA of the Heartland President
 

My first instructor in JA principles was my dad.  A self-employed entrepreneur, he was the embodiment of JA’s FEW: Financial literacy, Entrepreneurship and Workplace readiness. 

By his example, I learned to balance a checkbook, understanding that if there was a mistake, it was rarely the bank’s fault and that you aren’t done until the account balances to the penny.  I learned if you can’t pay for something in cash, you don’t put it on the credit card hoping you’ll be able to afford it in the future.  Wants aren’t needs, and just because you can afford to pay for something, it doesn’t mean you have to buy it.   

I learned that being an entrepreneur means you’re working for the toughest boss you’ll ever know.  While an employee gets a guaranteed paycheck, the entrepreneur is the last to get paid.  He takes the risk and hopefully earns the reward of success.  “No” and “we can’t do that” are not acceptable answers. 

My dad showed me that workplace readiness meant giving my best every day.  No one owes me anything except a paycheck.  My job wasn’t just doing the assigned work; it meant showing up every day ready to work and solve problems. 

These were just a few of the lessons I learned from my “JA instructor”.  I assumed everyone knew and lived by these principles.  Imagine my surprise when I entered the work world and realized that not everyone had received the same education.  I watched very bright and talented people stumble and fall because they had to learn these lessons the hard way.

This is why JA resonates with me and why I wanted to be part of it.  Students who learn the JA principles and practice them have an advantage in the workplace, but also in life.  They learn to be problem solvers who live within their financial means – those two skills alone head off myriad issues in their adult lives.  Students also learn the skills to expand their financial means by being strong employees or business owners.  While technical skills in a chosen career are necessary for success, these life skills provide the means to multiply that success.

I met many outstanding business leaders and teachers as President of JA of the Heartland for ten years.  Their dedication to making the JA program available to students was inspiring and helped me do my job better.  I also enjoyed the time I spent with students as a JA volunteer, watching their horizons expand as they completed their JA lessons.  I salute JA of the Heartland on its 70th anniversary and hope for its continued success for many generations of students to come.