At the Junior Achievement Golden Star Breakfast, recognition and awards were given to volunteers, school districts, sponsors, and board members for an outstanding year of economic success. Junior Achievement (JA) is a volunteer-based program where community members present economic lessons in the classroom that will hopefully help students make sound financial and employment choices. JA impacted more than 5,000 Angelina County students during the 2017-2018 school year and had volunteers present the JA curriculum in more than 250 local classrooms, according to Ashlyn Cole, the JA Board Chair.
Samantha Cisneros, LHS Cadet student
Michelle Green, JA Director; Samantha Cisneros, LHS Cadet Student; Ashlyn Cole, JA Board Chair
Samantha Cisneros, a Lufkin High School cadet student, gave a testimony of how the program has influenced her decision to teach. As a teacher cadet, she receives experience on what it’s like to become a teacher, but the JA program actually got her in front of the class teaching.
She said, “It not only helped the students behind the desks but those of us who are in front of them.” She thanked those involved in the program, and then she was presented with the “Student of Influence” award.
The school districts were awarded Partnership Awards. Jennifer Cumbie, consumer science teacher at Lufkin ISD, was awarded the Classroom Hero award for involvement in the Junior Achievement program and being one who helps guide students to make educated career decisions.
Accepting the award on her behalf was Shelly Slaton, Associate Principal at Lufkin ISD. To find out more about Junior Achievement, Click Here.
Kurt Stephens, Lufkin ISD; Shelly Slaton, Lufkin ISD (accepting on behalf of Jennifer Cumbie), Sheila Adams, Lufkin ISD; Emily Fleniken, JA Board Member