The Greater Binghamton Education Outreach Program (GBEOP) is excited to announce that two local students that participated in the Junior Achievement Company Program last fall are both receiving money to attend Syracuse University this fall! Nancy Wang of Johnson City High School received a full-ride scholarship to SU and Claire Stocum of Chenango Forks High School received additional financial aid to attend SU, thanks to their participation in the JA program via the BOCES New Visions Business Academy.

The mission of Junior Achievement (JA) is to prepare young people to succeed in a global economy by providing hands-on, engaging programs that challenge them to consider the importance of their education, individual interests, and life skills relating to financial literacy, entrepreneurship and workforce readiness. 

Junior Achievement is proud to partner with Syracuse University, and is grateful for their ongoing commitment to youth development in the Central Upstate New York Region. The Junior Achievement and Syracuse University Scholarship provides one Junior Achievement student with a full tuition, 4-year renewable scholarship to Syracuse University. Students must have participated in a JA program and embody the JA spirit, as demonstrated through their life experiences, drive, and future aspirations.

Reflection from Nancy Wang, Johnson City High School

My name is Nancy Wang and I’m a senior at Johnson City High School. At my school, I am very involved with extracurricular activities and community service. Some clubs I participate in include student government, Key Club, and National Honor Society, to name a few. I also play varsity girl’s tennis and golf. 

The Junior Achievement scholarship is a four-year, full tuition grant offered by the Junior Achievement branch of upstate New York. I was fortunate enough to interview and receive the Junior Achievement scholarship with Syracuse University as a result of the New Visions Business Academy. New Visions is a rigorous program designed for advanced high school seniors with refined interests towards certain professional fields. I personally was in the business academy but there are also law, engineering, and health academies available. For the first half of the year, the Business Academy ran a real company and sold stock. Our company, Incoming, developed and manufactured charger accessories that would prevent Apple Lightning cords from fraying. Our teacher Mrs. Julie Keenan and our group mentors, Dave Culbertson of National Pipe and Plastics, and Scott Weissmann of M&T helped our company evolve tremendously and really helped motivate us to keep going. Not only did I receive hands-on experience out of this program, but I also formed close relationships with my classmates.

It is with great pleasure that I announce my attendance to Syracuse University next year. I will be dual majoring in Business Management and Communications in the Whitman and Newhouse schools. Though the scholarship does not exclusively limit me to majoring in business, I learned through my time in the New Visions Business program that business management is a good fit for me. I hope to continue my education at Syracuse University and later come back to the Binghamton, New York area to better my community.

Thoughts from Claire Stocum, Chenango Forks High School

Junior Achievement has offered me unique opportunities for establishing my future in the business world. This past fall, I participated in the JA Company Program, by starting up the business, Incoming, A Junior Achievement Company. My peers and I gained real world knowledge regarding the management and day-to-day processes of running a company. In the end, we created enough profit to donate $2,000 into the community! With this program, I was reassured of my passion in the business world and I built respectable relationships with two business mentors: Dave Culbertson of National Pipe & Plastic and Scott Weissmann of M&T Bank. They graciously taught us valuable professionalism skills and encouraged us to pursue our dreams.

With a determined mindset and a love for business, I was excited to find a highly accredited business college and start my future. My parents both paid for their college education independently, and expect me to do so as well. This certainly limited my field of choices, but Junior Achievement opened a new door in my search. Teamed up with Syracuse University, JA offers one senior a full tuition scholarship. The application was rigorous and even required a personal interview at Syracuse. I appreciated the effort put into the application and enjoyed the process of interviewing for such a reward, however, I was denied the scholarship. Luckily, I made a good enough impression on the SU financial aid staff, that I was offered additional aid. While I did not earn the scholarship, Junior Achievement created an opportunity for me to attend my dream school. With nearly a full tuition value in financial aid, I was able to commit to Syracuse University for next fall!

Junior Achievement is focused on linking the business world with education, and I was fortunate enough to experience all they had to offer. I also have the pleasure of going into elementary

school classrooms and volunteering as a JA mentor myself. Business is an exciting aspect of our lives, and I am looking forward to expanding my knowledge for years to come.

Congratulations ladies! Best of luck to you at SU! We are thrilled that Junior Achievement had a positive impact on your lives.