Walsh welcomed approximately 1,200 local high school students from 11 area schools to campus on Tuesday, October 9, for the 7th Annual Junior Achievement Finance Education, College & Career Connections Day at Walsh. Stark County’s largest high school education event engages business professionals to teach students life skills to manage their personal finances and choose career pathways that match their skills, values and interests. This year’s event was sponsored by First Commonwealth Bank.
Volunteers included 55 Walsh students who gave up their fall break vacation day to serve as group guides and mentor students on campus. Walsh Garage leaders Bill Arfaras and Brandyn Neal along with Business Club leaders Zuki Almasy and Holly Baer also took the opportunity to present during the luncheon and shared their insights on entrepreneurship and campus life.
"I am always amazed at the heart of service to others our Walsh students live out each day," said Dr. Trish Berg, Faculty Advisor of the Walsh Business Club. "This is just one example of their commitment to serving others, and I am so proud of them."
In addition, Walsh’s Dante Penza volunteered as the luncheon’s Technology Coordinator and Jon Mann of Mann Marketing and Junior Achievement Board of Director spoke on behalf of Junior Achievement at the Luncheon.
"We are very thankful that Walsh continues to say 'yes’ to Junior Achievement by helping us provide opportunities for students to learn and grow on this phenomenal campus," said JA President Dawn Campanelli. "The Walsh volunteers add a great value to the event. The mentorship that happens between the Walsh students and JA students is a huge asset to the entire day and provides our students a chance to ask real questions about college life."
The goal of the day each year is to build personal money management skills, inspire students to set and achieve goals, and help students connect the relevancy of what they are learning in school to the real world of work to improve local graduation rates. The program is aligned to meet Ohio State Financial Literacy requirements (Amended Senate Bill 311) and included new Career Connections sessions with local employers to discuss entry level jobs and employer expectations to get and keep a job. Students from Bridges Homeschool, East Canton, GlenOak, Malvern, Minerva, Sandy Valley, Tusky Valley and Tuslaw participated in the 2018 event.
Event Marks the Launch of JA NextGEN Entrepreneurs’ Challenge
A new addition this year was the 2018 JA NextGEN Entrepreneurs’ Challenge Kickoff with 63 senior students from GlenOak, Lake, Marlington and North Canton high schools participating to learn about career pathways in business management, marketing, sales, human resources, supply chain management, production and technology as part of their JA Company Program.
"We really value entrepreneurship and innovation to grow our communities," said Campanelli. "JA Company Program enables students to continue to think how they can help solve today’s problems and create the next companies of tomorrow."
Expanding the JA NextGEN Entrepreneurs’' Challenge from a one-day end-of-the-year competition to a year-long youth entrepreneurship initiative has been a six-month project in partnership with The Burton D. Morgan Foundation, Coastal Pet Products, Inc., Timken, Timken Young Professional Network, Walsh University, Startup Stark, CJ McCollum of the Portland Trail Blazers, Junior Achievement of East Central Ohio Board of Directors and the Junior Achievement Northeast Ohio Alumni Association.
In total, more than 100 volunteers were involved throughout the day, representing Carpenters Local No. 285; Diebold-Nixdorf; East Central Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council; Express Employment Professionals; First Commonwealth Bank; Garner Financial Services - State Farm; Kenan Advantage Group; Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths, Doughtery, LPA; NAI Spring; Magnet; Marines; Massillon Container/Vail Packaging, Stark State College Automotive Technology Training and Walsh Business Club.