Junior Achievement’s 32nd annual gala on March
13 gathered some 400 supporters and sponsors together to honour the many award
winners for the greater Fredericton region.
Junior Achievement (JA) is the largest youth business
organization in Canada with provincial chapters from coast to coast. New
Brunswick has one of the most active chapters in the country with 15,000
students enrolled across the province.
Connie Woodside, president and chief executive officer for
JA New Brunswick, said the annual gala was “a celebration of success” for the
local students involved as well as the many community partners who support
their efforts.
“We are helping students tap into their talent for business
and reach their true potential,” Woodside said. “There are a lot of rock stars
here. Someone could leave here tonight with a job offer or an opportunity at
the post-secondary level.”
JA works in partnership with educators, volunteers and
businesses to educate students about financial literacy, work readiness and
entrepreneurship. Leading corporations and local organizations in the community
provide financial support and also provide mentors and volunteers to deliver
the JA program to the students, giving them the knowledge and confidence they
need to succeed in school, business and life.
“We are inspiring up and coming young entrepreneurs,”
explained Chris MacDonald, vice-chair of the JA New Brunswick Board and a former
JA graduate. “These youth go on to be leaders in the public and private sectors
and they will one day lead our province into a strong and prosperous future.”
Guest speaker Ben Johnson, a wealth advisor for RBC
Dominion Securities, told the crowd he got involved in the JA program 22 years ago
while in Grade 10, noting the organization can “make an impact and shape lives more than you
can imagine.”
He encouraged the students in the audience to look to their
future, plan for tomorrow, set goals, and stay focused.
“Don’t leave life to chance, have a vision,” Johnson said.
“Look at the future in the rearview mirror – what you will do, where you will
go and who you will be. It will give you clarity. As Joe Louis said, ‘you only
live once, but if you work it just right, once is enough.’”
This year, Junior Achievement housed two companies at Leo
Hayes High School which gave students the opportunity to create a business and
run it themselves. These budding entrepreneurs formed companies, raised
capital, elected officers, produced and marketed products and operated their
firms through to liquidation. A team of volunteer advisors from the local
business community guided their operations.
Green & Clean produced and sold homemade lip balm,
puddy soap and sugar scrub in a jar, while Relaxnation, produced and sold
“Affirma-Jar,” containing a stress ball, some chocolate, hot chocolate, herbal
tea and an inspirational quote. Both companies were deemed a success, winning
numerous JA awards along with their chief executive officers,Vanshika Khaitan,
a Grade 11 student at Fredericton High, and Mikayla Hand, a Grade 12 student at
Leo Hayes High School. Both student business leaders spoke at the gala.
Over the past 10 years, the JA annual gala has raised $200,000
from the local business community to support the JA movement in the greater
Fredericton region. Awards were presented at the 2019 event as follows:
Award
|
Winner
|
Highest
Profitability
|
Green
& Clean
|
Best
Business Plan
|
Green
& Clean (Benas)
|
Best
Shareholders Report
|
Relaxnation
|
Best
Management Team
|
Green
& Clean (Alyssa Brown)
|
Team
Player Awards
|
Anamar
Heredia Skinner/Henry Mason
|
Progressive
Company of the Year
|
Green
& Clean (Benas)
|
Most
Improved Company
|
Relaxnation
(Mikayla Hand)
|
Innovative
Leadership Award
|
Samantha
Septon
|
Innovative
Company Award
|
Relaxnation
(Bailey Nickerson)
|
Business
Development Award
|
Bailey
Nickerson
|
Emerging
Leader Award
|
Bailey
Nickerson
|
Young
Humantiarian Award
|
Rachel
Johnston
|
Entrepreneur
Spirit Award
|
Azlyn
Mitton
|
Entrepreneur
Spirit Award
|
Adam
Schwartz
|
Quality
Service Award
|
Danielle
MacNutt
|
Mentorship
Award
|
Joel
Trebble
|
Achiever
Integrity Award
|
Arvin
Seyedi
|
Best New
Startup
|
Relaxnation
(Mikayla Hand)
|
Quality
Assurance Award
|
Isaac
Morrison
|
Most Tech
Savvy Company
|
Green
& Clean (Camelle Currie)
|
NB Proud
Entrepreneur of the Year
|
Vanshika
Khaitan
|
Community
Impact Award
|
Eric
Morrison
|
Student
Most Likely to start a company
|
Savannah
McLean
|
Outstanding
Achiever Spirit Award
|
Samantha
McLean
|
JA
Inspiration Award
|
Ananaya
Sharma
|
Highest
Overall Program Sales
|
Henry
Mason
|
Most
Entrepreneurial Company
|
Green
& Clean (Alyssa Brown)
|
JA Women
in Business Award
|
Mikayla
Hand
|
Environmental
Awareness Award
|
Green
& Clean (Vanshika Khaitan)
|
Above
& Beyond Achiever Award
|
Adam
Morrison
|
Award of
Merit
|
Shane
Maunder
|
Junior
Executive Award
|
Avery
Collrin
|
Business
Integrity Award
|
Green
& Clean (Samantha Septon)
|
FHS
Achiever of the Year Award
|
Charlie
Hanscomb
|
Entrepreneurial
Endeavour Award
|
Sarah
Tozer
|
Digital
Technologies Award
|
Camelle
Currie
|
Distinguished
Student Award
|
Meg
Probert
|
Achiever
of the Year
|
Mikayla
Hand
|
Male
Rookie of the Year
|
Henry
Mason
|
Female
Rookie of the Year
|
Azlyn
Mitton
|
JA
Ambassador Award
|
Samantha
Otis
|
Customer
Service Excellence Award
|
Tori
Wetmore
|
Innovation
& Technology Award
|
Green
& Clean (Alyssa Brown)
|
Salesperson
of the Year
|
Wia
Sangalang
|
Entrepreneurial
Excellence Award
|
Anamar
Heredia Skinner
|
Data
Efficiency Award
|
Taylor
Danforth
|
Woman
Entrepreneur of the Year Award
|
Taylor
Danforth
|
Innovative
Marketing Award
|
Sarah
Tozer
|
Excellence
in Social Media
|
Camelle
Currie
|
Chief
Production Officer of the Year
|
Bailey
Nickerson
|
Chief
Digital Officer of the Year
|
Camelle
Currie
|
Chief
People Officer of the Year
|
Taylor
Danforth
|
Chief
Marketing Officer of the Year
|
Alyssa
Brown
|
Chief
Financial Officer of the Year
|
Benas
Groza
|
Chief
Executive Officer of the Year
|
Vanshika
Khaitan
|
Premier's
Leadership Award
|
Vanshika
Khaitan
|
Young
Women's Leadership Award
|
Samantha
Septon
|
Company of
the Year
|
Green
& Clean
|
Shown in the photos below are (1) ASD-W Acting Superintendent Catherine Blaney with Bailey Nickerson, a Grade 9 student at Leo Hayes High School who won the JA Emerging Leader Award; and (2) Fredericton High School Vice-Principal Nathan Langille with Charlie Hanscomb, a Grade 11 student, who won the award for FHS Achiever of the Year.