I first heard about Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee in 2011, between my junior/senior year at Vanderbilt University. As a participant in Vanderbilt's "Accelerator" Summer Business Immersion program, we spent the summer working on six different consulting projects for businesses/nonprofits around Nashville - JA being one of them. As part of the program, we visited JA BizTown and were asked to develop a big idea to continue engagement with the students. My team's idea was to sponsor a JA Bizbee, similar to a spelling bee but aligned with the underlying mission of JA and its curriculum. We presented our idea to JA leadership and we were runners-up in the competition.

After this initial experience, I began volunteering with JA, both in Middle Tennessee and New York. I love mentoring students in JA BizTown and teaching curriculum in JA Classroom. In 2023, I joined the Associate Board to further my involvement and support of JA.

Coming from a family of educators and as a finance professional myself, JA's mission to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy hits very close to home, especially now that I have a child of my own. Becoming a mother gave me a new perspective on everything and increased my passion for furthering the mission of JA and helping close the education gap in our society.

JA often talks about making connections between classroom learning and real-world situations. I wish I had access to this kind of experiential learning when I was in school and I want my daughter to have the opportunity to develop these important life skills during her educational journey.

JA is more than just a one day field trip. Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee is part of a nationwide network of JAs that are working to create long-term changes in financial education. Their programs focus on serving students from kindergarten all the way to 12th grade, with the goal of meeting students where they are in their education and preparing them for successful futures. Whether that means talking to first grade students about the difference between a want and a need or going into the details of the stock market with 10th graders, these programs give them the tools to succeed in the adult world.

My hope is that every student in Middle Tennessee can experience JA. That's why I'm helping JA reach over 36,000 students this year and raising $2,500 by June 30th. Please join me in supporting this organization and thanks for your consideration!