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Buford resident David Diaz and other members of the teen-led company Circle of Life pose with their trade fair booth at the JA North American Company of the Year Competition. In this photo from left to right: Rachel Gethers, Diaz, Hattie Walker, Adrienne Dibrell and Kemi Lawal.
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Atlanta, GA – Buford resident David Diaz competed in the JA North American Best Company of the Year Competition, which was held at Boston’s Northeastern University on July 17th and 18th. Representatives from five Atlanta area teen-led companies, including Diaz’s company, Circle of Life, competed against teen companies from across the U.S. and Canada.
“Going to Boston for the JA North American Company of the Year Competition was an incredible experience for me and my teammates from Circle of Life,” said Diaz. “I truly enjoyed participating in such a high-stakes, competitive event and getting to meet people from so many different backgrounds.”
The competition was an annual celebration of the accomplishments of student entrepreneurs, ages 15-19 who participate in Junior Achievement. Diaz was a member of the JA Fellows, Junior Achievement of Georgia’s entrepreneurship-focused after school program whose members started and ran their own businesses. He, along with other students, formed Circle of Life, which sold specially designed jewelry. The company reaped $1,098 in 13 weeks of sales, donating a portion of the proceeds to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and returning $4.35 per share, a 118% increase on stockholders’ investment of $2.00 per share. Circle of Life took third place in the Atlanta competition, the JA Fellows Expo, which qualified it for the North American level.
“We were so pleased to have five student companies from our after school program selected to participate in the JA North American Company of the Year Competition,” said Jack Harris, president of Junior Achievement of Georgia. “We feel that the JA Fellows truly provides the in-depth business experience necessary to make our students successful not only at this competition, but also as they enter the workforce as entrepreneurs. We are incredibly proud of our students’ strong performance at this exciting competition.”
Each company was ranked by panels of independent judges based on four criteria: an annual report, company employees’ answers to questions from a panel of judges, a four-minute presentation before an audience, and a trade fair booth. Atlanta teams claimed four of the five awards presented at the closing gala: The HP Responsible Business Award, the FedEx Global Access Award, and third and second place for the Best North American Company of the Year. The Title of Best North American Company went to Calgary, Alberta-based company Smile, whose product encouraged proper dental hygiene habits in children.
About Junior Achievement of Georgia, Inc.
Junior Achievement of Georgia inspires and prepares young people to succeed in a global economy. JA of Georgia and its volunteers bridge the gap between the business and education communities by providing relevant, hands-on curriculum. JA of Georgia offers multiple programs, including in-class programs,
JA Job Shadow,
JA Hispanic Outreach,
JA Fellows, and
JA College Pipeline, all of which focus on entrepreneurship, personal financial literacy and workforce readiness. During the 2008/2009 school year, JA of Georgia impacted over 113,000 students statewide through six district offices located in Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Dalton, Gainesville and Savannah. For more information, visit www.georgia.ja.org <
http://www.georgia.ja.org/>
About JA Fellows
The JA Fellows allows highly motivated high school students a unique opportunity to develop and strengthen their leadership and business skills, interact with prominent Atlanta business leaders, and prepare themselves to excel in college, the working world and beyond. Participating students create and manage their own companies, facing real business challenges and making real money. They have unique personal development opportunities, as well as the chance to apply for college scholarships. Junior Achievement of Georgia is the first Junior Achievement office to develop the program and offers it in metro Atlanta. Interested students and volunteers should visit www.jafellows.com <
http://www.jafellows.com/>
