“[The biggest personal benefit I've received as a volunteer is] seeing the students succeed and do a better job building a company than I could have ever dreamed of building when I was their age. It is truly inspiring to see how motivated and creative these students are.”

–Scott Gold, 2020 JA Company Program Mentor

“I have really been able to broaden my business spectrum through networking and really living the lifestyle. The experience has been great because as an officer, I’ve learned not only valuable business skills, but leadership ones as well! I have enjoyed the process of selling the most this year. As the VP of sales, I have been in charge of writing lots of emails, organizing events, and talking to many different people, which is something I have never truly experienced before.”

-JA Company Program Student

“JA seems to be the only organization that truly ‘gets it’. The organization understands that education needs to be student-driven, and it gives students opportunities to embrace their individualities and capitalize on their skills. I’ve noticed the difference in the JA curriculum; each activity is successfully designed to help a student understand their own strengths by taking their own initiative and working with the people around them. The JA learning style is why I’ve been inspired to come back and start my own ventures.”

–Kurien Thomas, JA Company Program Alumnus

“The JA Company Program has created an experience where both mentors and students grow and evolve. Many of our mentors are recent college graduates and it is great to see them refine the business skills they learned in the classroom by teaching high school students about various corporate functions. Some of the best experiences have come when mentors see students really grasp a concept and understand how applies it to their business. Students may not yet realize the magnitude of their new abilities, such as the capability to successfully run meetings and generate clear action items.”

-Gabe Cohen, JA Company Program Mentor

“Outside of his BSA troop, this is the first time my son has seen what can be accomplished by a large, committed group of people working together towards a shared goal. It was a different experience from Boy Scouts and high school, and very rewarding because of the duration of the "experiment." The months-long timeline allows students to achieve greater depth in their efforts and payoff, which would not otherwise be possible. Deep learning!”

-JA Company Program Parent

"I feel the JA Company Program is a valuable experience because I have learned many business skills that I can use in my future. I want to explore business in college as well, so this program has gave me this unique exposure to the concept of business. I have also made many long-lasting friendships with everyone in my group."

-JA Company Program Student

"The program allows me to use my skills in a way that contributes positively to society, and I love being able to collaborate with others who are passionate in the same areas as I am."

-JA Company Program Student

“The JA Company Program gave me a passion. For some years now, I've struggled with finding a career choice, let alone a major. I had found joy in entrepreneurship. The whole thing! The ups and downs of creating a business and all of the five departments. Most importantly, I love to pitch and get people excited about whatever it is I am talking about. From budgeting to sending invoices to making decisions. For example, making a decision of quality vs quantity. This program has supplied me with financial literacy. And there's so much more to learn!”

-JA Company Program Student

“I loved getting to meet others who shared similar passions for entrepreneurship and building friendships while learning. Personally, I was able to grow a lot in my communication and presentations skills — values that will be useful long after the program is over.”

-JA Company Program Student