Ali Wittich, Marketing Operations Lead, North America with Publicis Sapient speaks with us after being our first virtual volunteer to pilot a virtual JA Company Program.
What is your JA history?
I have been a classroom volunteer with JA for nearly 10 years – in both Washington, DC and now in Austin. I remember being a Junior Achievement student when I was growing up in small town Montana, and my mom was a classroom volunteer when I grew up also- so I have a very strong affinity for JA and the work they do on a national level.
Why do you think JA is important?
I think it’s alarming how little the public school system teaches students about the basics of financial literacy – how to make a budget, how taxes work, jobs, skills, interdependence, needs vs. wants, etc. If you reflect back to your time in school you’ll remember tiny tidbits from long classes in geometry, physics, history, etc. But you probably won’t remember anyone teaching you about the basics of how money works. These critical financial literacy & life skills are left in the hands of parents to teach- making the disparity even greater for kids from single-parent or low-income homes. I think JA is so important because for many students, this is the only time they have someone come into the classroom to get them excited about all the opportunities that lie ahead of them.
Why do you volunteer for JA of Central Texas?
I volunteer because I strongly believe in JA’s mission that ‘Opportunity is for Everyone’.
Why did you reach out and want to help a student when the pandemic happened?
I’ve seen first-hand through volunteering in classrooms with JA how school is a solace for many kids, and I wanted to help a young person who was on the right track but had that opportunity taken from them with the quarantine. I reached out to my at JA to see if there was an at-risk, but high potential student who would benefit from mentorship and JA. Through JA’s network, one teacher at Travis High School – Ms. McClure identified a bright student named Michael who had a big idea to launch a polaroid printing business, and then all was put on hold when schools shut down. Over the course of a few months, Michael and I met on Zoom, used the JA “It’s My Business” curriculum, and worked through his business plan – discussing SWOT analysis, budgets, competitive research, etc.
As a way to celebrate his work I asked Austin friends if they would judge Michael’s final pitch in a Zoom “Shark Tank” – something I thought would be fun and get more friends interested in JA.
It was a heart-warming grand finale to all his work and growth – and I was proud to watch the shy kid transform into someone who was confident enough to pitch in front of a group of strangers.
Special thank you to my friends and business leaders who offered amazing feedback and seed funding for Michael on the final pitch.
Eric Browne, Nimali3 Business Solutions
David Gonzalez, EY
Lisa Kotler, Fintech evangelist
Jess Martin, Stronghorn Fitness
Jen Smith, DLA Piper
Natalie Watson, Watson Works
Hayes Whitney, Superior Healthplan
It was great to see the JA team open to quickly pivoting to try virtual mentoring – providing opportunity for a high schooler to launch a business in the middle of a global pandemic. It’s hard to measure what the long-term effects of Michael’s future trajectory will be with this Junior Achievement experience and curriculum, but it’s been great to be part of JA’s shift to virtual programming.
Thank you Ali and all those that jumped in to give this opportunity to Michael!
Looking to be a part of our mission and virtually volunteer with JA this school year? Email: programs@jacentex.org
