Learning to Live an Entrepreneurial Life: JA teaches students money matters, the value of hard work, and the meaning of dedication.

• Author: Smith, Ashley Jean Marie
• Position: Junior Achievement

Junior Achievement (JA) has, and continues to be, a positive and impactful experience in my life. I apply the lessons of JA in my everyday life whether I'm buying a new t-shirt or putting together a business plan to start a snow removal business with my younger sisters. Understanding how to manage my money and calculate a profit comes in handy. I learned those fundamental lessons through my JA courses at Northern Lights ABC School.

I participated in JA from Kindergarten through the 8th grade. Each year brought a new, fun, and educational activity based on financial literacy. It gave students the opportunity to learn about finances taught by a professional, not a parent or teacher with a textbook. Our advisors guided us with their real-life experiences and allowed us to make our own decisions. Simple decisions such as whether to use my lunch money for lunch or for splurging on a brand new bouncy ball at the school store had new meaning. Though this may seem irrelevant to most, fast forward thirty years. In 2047 these same students, now adults, will be deciding if we should buy food for our families or the newest electronic device on the market.

A memorable JA course for me was second grade, Mrs. Bissell's class. We launched a donut shop and were taught the word "entrepreneur." It was the biggest and most difficult word to pronounce! At the time, the word had no particular meaning to me. I then learned an entrepreneur could become rich from selling donuts and that was exciting [to me] as a nine-year-old. Some of the sacrifices and difficult choices a business owner faces daily were eye opening. I now know that an entrepreneur is so much more than a word, it's a lifestyle. An entrepreneur puts their business before themselves. They get stronger with the obstacles they face, and especially in Alaska, it means giving back to the...