I’m passionate about fundraising for Junior Achievement of Western New York because I know firsthand what it’s like to search for direction. I served in the U.S. Navy, and after that I spent much of my life jumping from job to job, trying to figure out where I fit and what I wanted to build for myself. Like many people, I didn’t have a clear roadmap when it came to careers or financial literacy—I had to learn a lot of those lessons the hard way.

Junior Achievement gives students something I wish I had earlier: real-world skills, exposure to possibilities, and the confidence to see a future bigger than their current situation. Fundraising for JA of WNY means helping young people find direction sooner, believe in their potential, and build a foundation that can change the course of their lives.