Kimberlee Adam

My involvement with Junior Achievement started almost 20 years ago when a co-worker asked me if I would be a classroom volunteer. While I had experience speaking in front of adults, walking into a classroom of wide-eyed energetic elementary school kids was a bit intimidating. However, after the first session I was hooked! The classroom teachers are all amazing and have such a way with the kids, I have a much better appreciation for what they do day-in and day-out. Plus, JA makes the content so user-friendly and easy to follow that even if you have never had experience speaking in front of people, it is incredibly easy to teach. 

Then years later I had the opportunity to sign up to teach in my own kids' classrooms, my heart almost melted when I heard my daughter in the hallway tell her classmates that her mommy was going to be the teacher that day. So adorable and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face.

Today, I am a proud member of the Coulee Region Junior Achievement Board representing my organization Trane Technologies where giving back is central to our culture. 

At Junior Achievement, we believe in “possible.” Each day, we work to help young people discover what’s possible in their lives. We do this by helping them connect what they learn in school with life outside the classroom. We let them know it’s possible to invest in their future, to gain a better understanding of how the world works, and to pursue their dreams. We show them that it’s possible for tomorrow to be a better day. 

I am one of hundreds of volunteers that step into the classroom and teach Junior Achievement.  As a board member I believe you need to be involved and a part of the mission to understand the impact JA has on our youth.  One of our 1st time JA volunteers shared his experience last school year.

"I admit, when I went into teaching my first Junior Achievement session of Personal Finance, it made me a little nervous. But, that immediately changed when I realized how comfortable I was with the students and the material. It was pretty amazing to see how interested the students were in the material!

I wanted to share my most memorable and rewarding experience which was when I was working with one student in particular who was very shy. In fact, the first day of class she did NOT want to speak at all. I worked closely with her to help her get more involved and within the first two classes she started to answer questions and enjoy the class with the rest of the students. By the end of the course she was the MOST involved and answered the MOST questions and I was very proud of her."

JA is set to reach over 5,000 students this year in the Coulee Region and surrounding areas!  What if you truly help change their future?  What if you start today?