The school year has officially kicked off and I am honored to chair the Junior A
By Matthewvangilder · October 3, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
The school year has officially kicked off and I am honored to chair the Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes Associate Leadership Board for second year. We are here to support in full force. All of us have joined for the same reason: to make a difference in students' lives, to help them grow, and to set them up for a successful future.
To help illustrate what JA does, I like to share my favorite part about volunteering: It is seeing the impact and the lightbulbs 💡 turning on for students in real time. I have seen student CEOs in the JA BizTown program (who are responsible for a team of other students running a business) finally realize that they don't need to know how to do everything in the business and that they don't need to do it all themselves. They realize that the CEO's job is actually being a coach and getting everyone to work together. That is leadership! And it takes many working professionals years to understand this. Someone who unlocks this in 5th grade has just been handed a valuable life lesson, very early on.
I've seen the lightbulb 💡 in older students many times, too. In JA Finance Park, we take high schoolers through financial simulations of being an adult, where they have jobs with specific salaries, spouses, children, varying levels of household expenses, etc. They then have to navigate how to earn, save, and spend their money through a gamified platform. Child care expenses usually knock the students' socks off 😂 The kids walk away with a new understanding of why their parents care about how much they spend at the store or when they are out to eat. They see how important saving and budgeting really are. Stuff I wish I had a better handle on as I transitioned to adulthood.
These lightbulbs 💡 are going on every day through Junior Achievement's work. That is what inspires me and why I do what I do for Junior Achievement. Every person at this table has a different "why" behind their passion, but we are all focused on the same thing: rallying volunteers and fundraising within the community, both of which are essential to driving the mission and empowering students.
If you share this passion or think it could become one, let me know. We are always looking for partners and supporters.