Employee Inspired to Volunteer for Junior Achievement
“What can I do to help?” That’s what GIS Business Analyst III Daiane Cabejo-Lopes asked herself after reading about Arthrex's commitment to the dedicated students of the Junior Achievement (JA) Program featured in a recent employee newsletter. Daiane answered that question by becoming a JA volunteer, working once a week with 25 fifth grade students from Osceola Elementary School through the JA Our Nation® program. Students are learning about entrepreneurship, financial literacy and work readiness over the span of five sessions led by Daiane.
Daiane has always been active in the community, especially when it comes to business-related educational opportunities. Having previously volunteered in Brazil with high school students who were learning about business operations, Junior Achievement was a natural fit. She shared, “I love giving kids a chance to learn this material. If another professional was going into my son’s class to teach him the same sort of real-world material, I know I would appreciate it.”
Junior Achievement’s programs give professionals every tool they need to make a positive impact on the students. Each session has a workbook and structured activities that teach kids the relevant vocabulary and help them retain what they learn in class.
Daiane said, “JA encourages volunteers to introduce themselves and share a little bit about their backgrounds, that way you can tie your individual experience into the lesson plans and make it really genuine.
"I love my work with Junior Achievement because the kids are bright and always eager to learn. Since it only requires one hour-long session per week, it makes getting involved very easy. We are part of a good company and our products directly impact people’s lives, so we should show people who we are. Volunteering is part of our culture.”
To learn more about volunteering with JA, click here.
