Manchester High School Student Featured Speaker at Junior Achievement Event

Manchester High School student Lebert Lester III will be joined by Blake Hamilton, 6th grade student at Noah Webster School in Hartford and Cristina Lara-Agudelo, 12th grade student at Farmington High School as speakers at the 11th Annual Partners in Achievement Breakfast to support the financial literacy, workforce readiness and entrepreneurship programs of Junior Achievement.  

The annual event has become one of the region’s best opportunities for local business leaders to come together to be inspired by students, educators and volunteers who have all experienced JA programs.  This year’s event will be on Friday, May 16 at the Hartford Marriott Downtown, 7:15 – 9:00 AM.  JA is anticipating 500 guests at this year’s event. 

John Legato, Program Manager for GE Industrial Solutions in Plainville, will be a featured speaker. Legato, a Colchester resident, will highlight the experience of being a JA volunteer in more than 60 classrooms over the past decade.  Zach Peter, a seventh grade student at Avon Middle School, has been selected to be the emcee.  The students will highlight their participation in JA programs.

The breakfast program will feature students highlighting their personal experiences with JA, in talking with business and community leaders throughout the morning.  During the morning, local educators and volunteers will relate the importance of JA in empowering students and providing a solid foundation of financial literacy knowledge that is essential for future success. 

JA’s Partners in Achievement breakfast is a fundraising event that supports JA’s financial education programs in the schools.  Though the breakfast is free to attend, guests will be asked to make a financial contribution. 

Thanks in part to the funds raised at the Partners in Achievement event, the number of students reached by JA of Southwest New England programs has increased by 53 percent during the past decade, from just under 23,000 in 2003 to 35,000 in 2013.  JA of Southwest New England, through its volunteers, delivers programs to more than 165 schools throughout Connecticut in Hartford, New Haven, New London, Litchfield, Middlesex, Tolland and Windham counties.

“JA provides young people the knowledge, tools and inspiration to understand our economy and their own finances, and make their way in   the world,” said Louis J. Golden, President of JA of Southwest New England.

Lead sponsors of the Partners in Achievement Breakfast are The Hartford, RSCC Wire & Cable and Lincoln Financial Group.  To RSVP, contact Jeremy Race at jrace@jaconn.org or 860-525-4510 x225.  To learn more about the JA, visit www.jaconn.net.