JA USA Hosts First Virtual Regional JA Student Company Event of 2020

June 18, 2020

Junior Achievement USA held its 2020 National Student Leadership Summit (NSLS) this week, the first regional JA Student Company competition to be held entirely online. Like live events of past years, the virtual competition included seminars from sponsors Delta, EY, and FedEx, as well as the traditional student presentations. But rather than presenting in-person from a conference hall in Washington, D.C., students from around the U.S. activated cameras and microphones and presented from their homes.

JA USA’s 2020 NSLS is the first official regional JA Student Company competition of the year. Originally slated for March 2020, JA Asia Pacific has rescheduled its Company of the Year event for August 2020—whether it will be held in-person in Guam or virtually remains to be seen. Though many JA member countries and areas have held their local and national competitions virtually, JA USA’s NSLS is the first regional competition to be held online.

On Tuesday, June 16, students participated in two signature sponsor seminars, the EY Innovation Seminar and the FedEx Global Possibilities Seminar. Attendance and participation in these seminars is a prerequisite to winning the associated signature awards.

EY is committed to building a better working world by supporting entrepreneurs and empowering innovation. In the seminar, led by a where they worked together to provide innovative solutions to challenging issues.

Pam Johnson, Advisor, FedEx Global Citizenship, led students through the Global Possibilities seminar, which covered global trade, international shipping solutions, and services provided by FedEx including global logistics.

Watch the EY and FedEx seminars:

Wednesday, June 17, brought all 15 student teams in front of the judges for the JA Company of the Year presentations. Each student company team presented to a panel of judges where they brought to life the accomplishments and challenges of their companies’ endeavors during their experiences.

On the final day, Thursday, June 19, student teams participated in the Delta Social Impact Seminar, also a requirement to be eligible for the Delta Social Impact Award.

The awards ceremony took place later in the day, with announcements from JA USA CEO Jack Kosakowski and representatives from EY, Delta, FedEx, and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

Watch the full ceremony: