JA Fellow starts non-profit to help feed peers

Here at JA, we know that our programs are full of incredible students. We know that we are in a unique position in which we get to help inspire and grow students' passions, and watch them succeed in front of our eyes. But every now and then, we get to share stories that truly blow us away.

Lauren Seroyer is one of those stories. A JA Fellow and rising Junior at Peachtree Ridge High School in Gwinnett County, Seroyer has begun to tackle a problem that many people twice her age never think about: food insecurity. She was inspired by a classmate that confided in her that he didn't have enough food at home. Instead of just feeling bad, she did something about it.

"When I called the local food pantry, I was shocked to find out that they couldn't give their resources to anyone outside of their service area," said Seroyer.

So she decided to start her own. Community Assistance and Resource Effort (CARE) Closets, is a confidential school-based food pantry. The food comes from school clubs and the local community, and is run by  student council members and supporting teachers. The first, at Seroyer's own Peachtree Ridge, began with just with a lunch announcement to the school, and grew from there.

Since March, CARE Closets has gained local and national recognition. In April they were the recipient of the Spark Prize from United Way of Greater Atlanta, providing $25,000 in funding to help reach their goal of being in every high school in Gwinnett County. Then, just a few weeks ago Seroyer was one of two recipients of the Community Choice Youth Award from 365Black, a McDonald's program that recognizes people who are working to make a difference in the African American community. She received the $10,000 award on the national stage, alongside honorees like Toni Braxton and Wendy Raquel Robinson.

"I didn't expect for it to explode like this," said Seroyer. "Everything has been moving so quickly, but it's been so wonderful. I never expected any type of recognition, but I have had so many opportunities, and been able to grow the program larger than I'd ever imagined."

So how does it work? Seroyer has develop a tool kit for schools that spells out how to implement the program. It requires just a student council member and sponsoring teachers to begin, and can start providing food to those in need immediately. Seroyer is confident that Peachtree Ridge - and one day all high schools in the county - will be able to continue the program long after she graduates.

Seroyer is an inspiration to her friends, classmates and adults alike. When asked what her advice to people her age would be, she confidently replied that "No idea is a bad idea. The most common thing my peers say to me is 'I never thought that making a change could begin with just a simple idea.' You can't be afraid to try things, and you can't give up." said Seroyer.

The biggest lesson she's learned is one that we could all use a little more often: Never look down on anyone, because you never know what the person next to you is going through.

The 365Black awards will air on BET on September 1st at 9PM.

Q&A with JA Fellows Alumni: Orane Douglas

How many years were you in the JA Fellows program?

1 year

What year did you graduate from high school?

2010

What college do you attend, what's your major and expected graduation year?

I graduated from Duke University in 2014 on the pre-medical track with a major in Cultural Anthropology. I am currently obtaining my Masters in Public Health from Emory University in the Health Policy and Management with a certificate in Socio-contextual Determinants of Health with an anticipated graduation date of May 2017.

Favorite sports team or food?

Jamaican, Latin, and Italian food; Duke Blue Devils

What are some of your recent achievements? What is your proudest achievement in life?

I was currently voted to be the Academic and Social co-chair for the Association of Black Public Health students at Emory and was selected as a student ambassador for the admissions board. During my senior year at Duke, I was selected as the 2014 Kappa Man of the Year for my chapter and was also awarded a plaque for the significant contributions I've made during my tenure as President and in other leadership positions.

My  proudest accomplishment is my involvement with Duke's Global Health Institute, where I was granted an opportunity to develop and implement a project to help a community and learn about resources. I was originally accepted into the Student Research Training program in November alongside three other undergraduate students. Together, we worked with community based organizations in Sri Lanka to identify problems of interest and ways we could assist. Working with staff in the institute, we developed a budget, received funding, organized transportation and funding, and a plan of action. We then traveled to Sri Lanka for 8 weeks, where I taught English, math, science, and music classes to the minority Tamil population as well as worked with an organization to empower the people of the communities. Though we were not able to extract the desired data, we were able to develop a nutritional assessment to help the organization we were working with to better serve the interests of the community.

What is the most important thing you took from the JA Fellows program that applies to your life now?

JA Fellows helped me tremendously with the work in Sri Lanka. I learned during the program the rewards and difficulties with working with a team towards a common goal. I also learned how to adjust when things were not going as planned. Additionally, I learned how to better balance between being the CEO of our JA company and performing well in school. I am currently doing my masters full time, while working full time in Cancer Clinical Research, while also running a business. JA was the first time I had been exposed to business operations and the multiple facets of developing and growing a business. I take that experience developing an Annual Report and use it currently in developing revenue and expense reports, which I am also learning in my Masters program. JA Fellows allowed for me to learn skill sets and lessons central to my passions and served as a strong foundation for everything I am currently learning and doing. I am forever grateful to the program for the lessons I learned, the individuals who spent their time investing in me, and mentoring me.

Junior Achievement hosts 4th annual career day in partnership with Sol C. Johnson High School and local businesses

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA - Junior Achievement (JA) of Georgia, in partnership with 18 local businesses, hosted its 4th annual career day at Sol C. Johnson High School on Wednesday, April 20, 2016.

At the event, high school students were able to interact with local business professionals and to participate in hands-on demonstrations, which exposed them to what a typical day looks like for professionals across various sectors.

"I've never talked to a lot of women who are in big math and science things,” said Kiera Napolitano, a Junior at Johnson High School. “For her to be like, 'oh she bought a business and it’s a construction business,' is good because I want to go into engineering; there's not a lot of women in engineering."

Napolitano’s realization encapsulates the power that authentic and relevant experiences can have when infused with real-world business connectivity. The breadth of businesses that participated in the career day allowed students to learn about careers that they may have never been exposed to.

Companies that participated include: Advertising Specialty Services, The Art Institutes, AT&T, Chatham County Juvenile Court, Collins Construction, Empire Beauty School, Georgia Power, Gulfstream, Jasper Design Services, JE Dunn Construction, Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, Savannah Fire Department, Savannah State University - Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Savannah State University - University Counsel, Savannah Technical College, Sebrell Smith Entertaining, SunTrust, University of Georgia Department of Foods and Nutrition.

“Our programming depends on partnerships with companies like these to bring relevant business experiences that truly change the way students think about their futures,” said Jack Harris, President and CEO of JA of Georgia. “We are thankful to the support these companies give to Savannah area students throughout the entire school year, and look forward to continuing our partnerships.”

Many of the businesses who participated in Wednesday’s event are also participating in Mayor Eddie DeLoach’s Summer 500 program, which begins May 31, 2016. The inaugural summer internship program will give students the opportunity to gain real-world experience in a professional setting, helping them to build their soft skills and explore possible career paths.