At Junior Achievement (JA), we believe students should have fun while they’re developing entrepreneurial values and preparing for the 21st century workforce, because the world of business is exciting; filled with new and intriguing opportunities. Many kids first discover their enthusiasm for entrepreneurship through JA, which can last a lifetime.
Though he didn’t know what to expect, Casados decided to try Junior Achievement (JA) Business Week the summer after his sophomore year at Denver School of Science and Technology (DSST) Green Valley Ranch.
“It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced,” Casados says. “I had only experienced classroom settings. When I went to JA Business Week there was more freedom.”
He encountered a learning style driven by creativity, passion and innovation, and grasped onto it. After his junior year, Casados returned to JA Business Week for the JA Venture Academy.
“I just loved the energy going into JA Business Week my first year. I felt like I was part of a family. My second year, it was still the same ‘family’ experience but ten times better…because I was building a whole new network.” He adds, “It was fun working in a team because everyone was so passionate and very interested in what we were trying to accomplish.”
JA Business Week taught Casados that his desire to delight in creating something unique can be powerful, and he believes that students can invest in their own futures when they see others caring about their ideas. Now Casados is on the other side of the table, working to establish an organization called Foundation10x with a goal of promoting experiential learning in schools. Currently he’s creating a website and brand, establishing a mission and vision, raising funds, and recruiting a team.
Casados says, “Overall, my goal is to make a system that is completely different so that students have a say in what goes into that system and what doesn’t…I want students to feel comfortable with their education and succeed forward into the future.”
Much of his inspiration comes from his experience as a JA student. “That’s the thing about JA – everyone’s having fun and enjoying themselves,” Casados says. “I think that with this organization I’m building, I’m doing it because I want to have fun and see something completely new be created.”
To learn more register for JA Business Week, please visit our website.
