Kaytria Stauffer always dreamed of how fun it would be to have her own business.
Photo provided
Junior Achievers of Cayuga County stand next to a display advertising a business that the students manage. They came up with the idea, product, marketing and sales to develop a working business.
Junior Achievers of Cayuga County stand next to a display advertising a business that the students manage. They came up with the idea, product, marketing and sales to develop a working business.
She never thought it would happen - and she knew teaching was in her future - but three years ago she achieved the impossible.
Stauffer, 17, of Memphis, joined Junior Achievement of Central New York, Inc.'s Young Entrepreneur Program, an after-school program running from October to February in which participating students learn all aspects of running a business, from obtaining capital, deciding on products and services, producing products and services, marketing and selling to human resources, administration, finances and reports by creating and operating their own company.
Each participant has a role in the company, and elections are held for officers. There are currently 10 businesses in Cayuga, Onondaga and Oswego counties sponsoring JA.
In February, JA holds a banquet at which individual and team awards are given out as are scholarships for graduating seniors. JA offers a full, four-year tuition scholarship to Syracuse University, a scholarship to Bryant and Stratton College and cash scholarships.
“Even if you don't ever plan to go into business - I don't actually plan to go into business - it helps with social skills,” said the Port Byron High School senior. “I gained a lot of friends. It's just an interesting program, and it's really nice when you tell people and they say, ‘Wow, you can do that on your own in high school?' You make your own company, and when they hear that, they are shocked. When that's on the college application, that will kind of boost you up.”
Posters advertising JA were plastered onto walls of the high school Stauffer's freshman year. After talking to some teachers and meeting with program participants, she decided to suit up for the business world.
And now she's looking to finish high school the way she started it.
Last year, Nucor Steel of Auburn took over the program New York State Electric and Gas had been sponsoring for Cayuga County for more than 20 years, said Cindy Major, programmer analyst for Nucor and co-advisor to the program. Now, Major and her partners are gearing up for the next student-run company, which is arriving in Auburn this month.
“JA is an excellent opportunity for high school students to gain valuable information about the business world, and it's a great way to make friends from different schools and meet local professionals in the process,” she said.
Major got involved with JA 12 years ago when her daughter Maureen joined the program at the behest of her best friend, Janine Sprague. Before JA, Maureen had no interest in business. An aspiring scientist, Maureen attended her first meetings in 1995 motivated by the thought of earning a little cash while building a unique resume.
At the age of 26, this Liverpool woman now finds herself, not in a lab, but rather in a Syracuse market research firm - a business.
“(JA) 100 percent changed my career choice,” she said. “In high school I was looking for something in the scientific field, and when I got into college, I realized I couldn't picture myself in a lab environment. Looking back, it was something that I enjoyed. I could do anything with business.”
But even those whose eyes aren't fixated on a business horizon have something to gain at JA.
“This is definitely beneficial for people who like business, but business is such a big part of everyone's life that any who go through JA can get life skills,” said Cindy Major. “It's just the hands-on of real life situations. You get to see what you are going to school for, why you are taking those classes and how they relate to the real world.”
Port Byron native Janine Sprague, 26, joined JA knowing that she wanted to be a lawyer. Always active in extracurricular activities - and her mother was the advisor for the program under NYSEG - Sprague just wanted to see what the program was all about.
Sprague left JA with the Syracuse University scholarship and is now an attorney in the Miami State Attorney's Office in Florida. While she didn't end up in business, she credits JA for making her a better lawyer.
“I served in a lot of officer positions within the JA companies,” she said. “In my senior year, I was president of the company and being able to speak in front of a group of 30 teenagers really builds your confidence. Now I can get up in front of a courtroom filled with people and a jury and judge and feel comfortable.”
Michael DeRosa, 21, of Auburn, had always wanted to make business a career. Since he was 11 years old, DeRosa had worked 32 jobs in various fields as a way to decide what he wanted to do with his adult life. For him, his one year with JA during the 11th grade reinforced his desire for business. But many young adults don't know what they want to do with their lives, and DeRosa said that JA is a good opportunity to get that experience.
“I think the high school students need to start thinking of where they are going to be in the future,” said DeRosa, who is currently an associate broker for RE/MAX Masters Real Estate in Skaneateles. “Most high school students don't know what they want to do when they get out of high school or graduate from college, and what happens is, after they graduate from high school or college they have the degree but it's hard to find a job because they lack one thing. That one thing is experience.”
Sarah Gilmore, 20, of Auburn didn't know anything about business before she joined JA. Three years later, she's pursuing a degree in business administration from Cayuga Community College. She credits JA for fostering a love and interest in the field, and the inspiration for wanting to create and operate her own business in the future.
“It was great experience, and it's a break in everyone's day to be with people who have the same interests you have,” she said.
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at alyssa,sunkin@lee.net or 253-5311 ext. 239
To get involved
Cindy Major, co-advisor to the Nucor chapter of Junior Achievement of Central New York Inc.'s Young Entrepreneur Program, is looking for high school students who are interested in learning about running a business. Nucor is looking to expand
the program next year, and is also seeking local
businesses who would like to sponsor JA for the 2008-09 school year.
Meetings are held every Thursday from October to late January. If interested, contact Major at 258-4275
Stauffer, 17, of Memphis, joined Junior Achievement of Central New York, Inc.'s Young Entrepreneur Program, an after-school program running from October to February in which participating students learn all aspects of running a business, from obtaining capital, deciding on products and services, producing products and services, marketing and selling to human resources, administration, finances and reports by creating and operating their own company.
Each participant has a role in the company, and elections are held for officers. There are currently 10 businesses in Cayuga, Onondaga and Oswego counties sponsoring JA.
In February, JA holds a banquet at which individual and team awards are given out as are scholarships for graduating seniors. JA offers a full, four-year tuition scholarship to Syracuse University, a scholarship to Bryant and Stratton College and cash scholarships.
“Even if you don't ever plan to go into business - I don't actually plan to go into business - it helps with social skills,” said the Port Byron High School senior. “I gained a lot of friends. It's just an interesting program, and it's really nice when you tell people and they say, ‘Wow, you can do that on your own in high school?' You make your own company, and when they hear that, they are shocked. When that's on the college application, that will kind of boost you up.”
Posters advertising JA were plastered onto walls of the high school Stauffer's freshman year. After talking to some teachers and meeting with program participants, she decided to suit up for the business world.
And now she's looking to finish high school the way she started it.
Last year, Nucor Steel of Auburn took over the program New York State Electric and Gas had been sponsoring for Cayuga County for more than 20 years, said Cindy Major, programmer analyst for Nucor and co-advisor to the program. Now, Major and her partners are gearing up for the next student-run company, which is arriving in Auburn this month.
“JA is an excellent opportunity for high school students to gain valuable information about the business world, and it's a great way to make friends from different schools and meet local professionals in the process,” she said.
Major got involved with JA 12 years ago when her daughter Maureen joined the program at the behest of her best friend, Janine Sprague. Before JA, Maureen had no interest in business. An aspiring scientist, Maureen attended her first meetings in 1995 motivated by the thought of earning a little cash while building a unique resume.
At the age of 26, this Liverpool woman now finds herself, not in a lab, but rather in a Syracuse market research firm - a business.
“(JA) 100 percent changed my career choice,” she said. “In high school I was looking for something in the scientific field, and when I got into college, I realized I couldn't picture myself in a lab environment. Looking back, it was something that I enjoyed. I could do anything with business.”
But even those whose eyes aren't fixated on a business horizon have something to gain at JA.
“This is definitely beneficial for people who like business, but business is such a big part of everyone's life that any who go through JA can get life skills,” said Cindy Major. “It's just the hands-on of real life situations. You get to see what you are going to school for, why you are taking those classes and how they relate to the real world.”
Port Byron native Janine Sprague, 26, joined JA knowing that she wanted to be a lawyer. Always active in extracurricular activities - and her mother was the advisor for the program under NYSEG - Sprague just wanted to see what the program was all about.
Sprague left JA with the Syracuse University scholarship and is now an attorney in the Miami State Attorney's Office in Florida. While she didn't end up in business, she credits JA for making her a better lawyer.
“I served in a lot of officer positions within the JA companies,” she said. “In my senior year, I was president of the company and being able to speak in front of a group of 30 teenagers really builds your confidence. Now I can get up in front of a courtroom filled with people and a jury and judge and feel comfortable.”
Michael DeRosa, 21, of Auburn, had always wanted to make business a career. Since he was 11 years old, DeRosa had worked 32 jobs in various fields as a way to decide what he wanted to do with his adult life. For him, his one year with JA during the 11th grade reinforced his desire for business. But many young adults don't know what they want to do with their lives, and DeRosa said that JA is a good opportunity to get that experience.
“I think the high school students need to start thinking of where they are going to be in the future,” said DeRosa, who is currently an associate broker for RE/MAX Masters Real Estate in Skaneateles. “Most high school students don't know what they want to do when they get out of high school or graduate from college, and what happens is, after they graduate from high school or college they have the degree but it's hard to find a job because they lack one thing. That one thing is experience.”
Sarah Gilmore, 20, of Auburn didn't know anything about business before she joined JA. Three years later, she's pursuing a degree in business administration from Cayuga Community College. She credits JA for fostering a love and interest in the field, and the inspiration for wanting to create and operate her own business in the future.
“It was great experience, and it's a break in everyone's day to be with people who have the same interests you have,” she said.
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at alyssa,sunkin@lee.net or 253-5311 ext. 239
To get involved
Cindy Major, co-advisor to the Nucor chapter of Junior Achievement of Central New York Inc.'s Young Entrepreneur Program, is looking for high school students who are interested in learning about running a business. Nucor is looking to expand
the program next year, and is also seeking local
businesses who would like to sponsor JA for the 2008-09 school year.
Meetings are held every Thursday from October to late January. If interested, contact Major at 258-4275
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