Showcasing hand-sewn Uglydolls, specially designed jewelry that benefits cancer research, and water bottles that contain a one-month free trial at a participating gym, this year’s North American Junior Achievement (JA) Student Company of the Year Competition was deemed a great success. Held at Northeastern University on July 17th, 2009, the teens proved that they are not afraid to take risks and be creative with their businesses.
The local JA office of Eastern Massachusetts hosted this year’s Junior Achievement Competition, the first of its kind. The competition celebrated the accomplishments of high school students who took part in the JA Company Program, where students organized and operated an actual business enterprise. The teen participants learned how businesses function and also learned about the structure of the U.S. free enterprise system and the benefits it provides.
The PinPals team was one of three JA Academy teams from the Boston area represented at the competition. Their product involved making and selling buttons to raise awareness on global issues such as the economy, water safety, and immigration. The team donated a portion of their profits to PlayPumps International, an organization that improves the lives of children and families by providing easy access to clean drinking water, enhancing public health, and giving play equipment to millions of children across Africa.
“We have little pins that exhibit big ideas,” explained PinPals team member Stanthia Ryan when asked about product. Ryan, a recent graduate of Boston Latin Academy is currently attending Hamilton College. She believes the pins help teens pay attention to global issues they may otherwise ignore. “These pins are especially important for our generation because I don’t think that a lot of people in our age bracket really pay attention to these three issues,” she said. “Our product gets people to pay attention.” The team of 20 came up with clever and humorous phrases to market each pin such as “I paid $1 for this pin in the recession” for the recession-themed pin, which they actually sold for $1.00. The team ended up raising $180-$200 to benefit PlayPumps International.
Although the PinPals did not place amidst the 20 teams that qualified for the competition, they learned important lessons about themselves and what it takes to run a business. “I learned that you can’t be afraid to take chances,” said Ryan of her experience. “It’s ok to fail when you’re young because you learn from your mistakes and you kind of pick yourself up. So when you’re an adult and that happens again, it’s not completely new and you don’t have a huge break down that you would have if you hadn’t necessarily experienced it before.”
Perhaps most importantly, the PinPals gained the experience and the confidence to pursue entrepreneurial paths in the future. “The biggest lesson I learned from Junior Achievement was how to create a company that is able to benefit others,” added PinPals team member Sherry Li, a senior at Health Careers Academy in Boston. “My experience with Junior Achievement has influenced me to open up my own funeral home in the future and try to benefit others with the company.”
Li’s advice to teens who are thinking about starting their own business, “Pay attention to things that are current, things that are of global concern because that’s really where the market is.” “Do something that you love, that you’re passionate about.”
*Junior Achievement Worldwide is the world’s largest organization dedicated to educating students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs. The students featured in this article participated in the JA Academy program. Registered TeenLife Boston members can learn more about Junior Achievement and JA Academy by visiting JA’s online profile.
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Showcasing hand-sewn Uglydolls, specially designed jewelry that benefits cancer research, and water bottles that contain a one-month free trial at a participating gym, this year’s North American Junior Achievement (JA) Student Company of the Year Competition was deemed a great success. Held at Northeastern University on July 17th, 2009, the teens proved that they are not afraid to take risks and be creative with their businesses.