Experience

Junior Achievement of Wisconsin - Coulee Region

• United States
• Education Administration Programs
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Volunteer Coordinator

  • Sep 2021 - Present

  Passion once again led me to my current job with Junior Achievement. I have always been passionate about the need for young people to learn how to manage money and am thrilled to be working to inspire and prepare young people to succeed. The inspiration piece comes from our amazing community volunteers. These volunteers not only deliver our fully prepared Junior Achievement curriculum, but they also share their experience. In the process, these volunteers serve as role models helping… Show more Passion once again led me to my current job with Junior Achievement. I have always been passionate about the need for young people to learn how to manage money and am thrilled to be working to inspire and prepare young people to succeed. The inspiration piece comes from our amazing community volunteers. These volunteers not only deliver our fully prepared Junior Achievement curriculum, but they also share their experience. In the process, these volunteers serve as role models helping to positively impact young people’s perceptions about the importance of education, as well as critical life skills. Preparation involves our proven lessons that promote financial capability, work and career readiness, and business ownership. By building community connections, I work to recruit and train volunteers allowing them to share their experience while teaching the Junior Achievement curriculum to our Coulee Region youth. I also work to ensure our elementary educators are aware of the incredible curriculum Junior Achievement has to offer. When educators request to have the JA curriculum in their classrooms, I match them with a volunteer and together they create a schedule to ensure the five JA lessons are delivered in a timely manner. Show less Passion once again led me to my current job with Junior Achievement. I have always been passionate about the need for young people to learn how to manage money and am thrilled to be working to inspire and prepare young people to succeed. The inspiration piece comes from our amazing community volunteers. These volunteers not only deliver our fully prepared Junior Achievement curriculum, but they also share their experience. In the process, these volunteers serve as role models helping… Show more Passion once again led me to my current job with Junior Achievement. I have always been passionate about the need for young people to learn how to manage money and am thrilled to be working to inspire and prepare young people to succeed. The inspiration piece comes from our amazing community volunteers. These volunteers not only deliver our fully prepared Junior Achievement curriculum, but they also share their experience. In the process, these volunteers serve as role models helping to positively impact young people’s perceptions about the importance of education, as well as critical life skills. Preparation involves our proven lessons that promote financial capability, work and career readiness, and business ownership. By building community connections, I work to recruit and train volunteers allowing them to share their experience while teaching the Junior Achievement curriculum to our Coulee Region youth. I also work to ensure our elementary educators are aware of the incredible curriculum Junior Achievement has to offer. When educators request to have the JA curriculum in their classrooms, I match them with a volunteer and together they create a schedule to ensure the five JA lessons are delivered in a timely manner. Show less



GROW La Crosse

• La Crosse WI

• Executive Director, Board President and Co-founder

  • Mar 2012 - Feb 2017

  Passion + Love of Learning + Soft Skills = My Recipe for Success. After spending over 10 years in California we settled in the Coulee Region. My passion for how food, movement, nature and community impacted all aspects of wellbeing led me down a path to start a non-profit with a friend, Kari Bersagel-Braley. It was my passion, soft skills and love of learning that allowed me to find success transforming an idea into Grow La Crosse, a non-profit that continues to connect… Show more Passion + Love of Learning + Soft Skills = My Recipe for Success. After spending over 10 years in California we settled in the Coulee Region. My passion for how food, movement, nature and community impacted all aspects of wellbeing led me down a path to start a non-profit with a friend, Kari Bersagel-Braley. It was my passion, soft skills and love of learning that allowed me to find success transforming an idea into Grow La Crosse, a non-profit that continues to connect children to healthy food and nature in the Coulee Region. The most important factor to the success of Grow La Crosse was the people we engaged to work alongside us and our ability to collaborate and work as a team. Here are a few ways my recipe for success served me during my time at Grow La Crosse. My friendly personality, can do attitude and social skills helped us network and build a strong group of supporters. My leadership and management skills helped develop this group of supporters into a strong board of directors who worked together to problem solve and innovate to reach our common goals. My networking, sales and creativity skills helped cement a partnership with Deep Roots Community Farm allowing us to begin raising funds by organizing our first ever fundraiser, Fall Festival on the Farm and offering Farm Camps to local youth. It also helped us cement the FIRST ever corporate sponsorship of a non-profit from Mayo Clinic Health Systems. My communication skills, organizational skills, attention to detail and project management skills helped on a daily basis to keep the organization moving forward. My strong work ethic and resiliency carried me during the many moments I felt like quitting....it was a long road with many challenges. Today, I am so proud of all Grow La Crosse has done for youth in the Coulee Region and the people who continue to support this mission and are working to grow the organization today! Show less Passion + Love of Learning + Soft Skills = My Recipe for Success. After spending over 10 years in California we settled in the Coulee Region. My passion for how food, movement, nature and community impacted all aspects of wellbeing led me down a path to start a non-profit with a friend, Kari Bersagel-Braley. It was my passion, soft skills and love of learning that allowed me to find success transforming an idea into Grow La Crosse, a non-profit that continues to connect… Show more Passion + Love of Learning + Soft Skills = My Recipe for Success. After spending over 10 years in California we settled in the Coulee Region. My passion for how food, movement, nature and community impacted all aspects of wellbeing led me down a path to start a non-profit with a friend, Kari Bersagel-Braley. It was my passion, soft skills and love of learning that allowed me to find success transforming an idea into Grow La Crosse, a non-profit that continues to connect children to healthy food and nature in the Coulee Region. The most important factor to the success of Grow La Crosse was the people we engaged to work alongside us and our ability to collaborate and work as a team. Here are a few ways my recipe for success served me during my time at Grow La Crosse. My friendly personality, can do attitude and social skills helped us network and build a strong group of supporters. My leadership and management skills helped develop this group of supporters into a strong board of directors who worked together to problem solve and innovate to reach our common goals. My networking, sales and creativity skills helped cement a partnership with Deep Roots Community Farm allowing us to begin raising funds by organizing our first ever fundraiser, Fall Festival on the Farm and offering Farm Camps to local youth. It also helped us cement the FIRST ever corporate sponsorship of a non-profit from Mayo Clinic Health Systems. My communication skills, organizational skills, attention to detail and project management skills helped on a daily basis to keep the organization moving forward. My strong work ethic and resiliency carried me during the many moments I felt like quitting....it was a long road with many challenges. Today, I am so proud of all Grow La Crosse has done for youth in the Coulee Region and the people who continue to support this mission and are working to grow the organization today! Show less



Youth for Change

• United States
• Mental Health Care
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Case Manager

  • Jan 2001 - Jun 2006

  As a case manager at Youth For Change I utilized a strength-based approach to engage at-risk families and connect them to community and natural support systems to help them reach their goals. My team assisted families with all aspects of their lives including navigating systems and challenges related to schooling, transportation, housing, food insecurity, childcare and beyond to ensure they could successfully reach their goals. Coordinated and facilitated regular meetings with… Show more As a case manager at Youth For Change I utilized a strength-based approach to engage at-risk families and connect them to community and natural support systems to help them reach their goals. My team assisted families with all aspects of their lives including navigating systems and challenges related to schooling, transportation, housing, food insecurity, childcare and beyond to ensure they could successfully reach their goals. Coordinated and facilitated regular meetings with community members including county workers, school personnel and therapists to generate family support systems. Guided and supervised staff interactions with families and community members to ensure positive working relationships. Lead teams in the development, implementation, and regular evaluation of the individualized family team plans. Show less As a case manager at Youth For Change I utilized a strength-based approach to engage at-risk families and connect them to community and natural support systems to help them reach their goals. My team assisted families with all aspects of their lives including navigating systems and challenges related to schooling, transportation, housing, food insecurity, childcare and beyond to ensure they could successfully reach their goals. Coordinated and facilitated regular meetings with… Show more As a case manager at Youth For Change I utilized a strength-based approach to engage at-risk families and connect them to community and natural support systems to help them reach their goals. My team assisted families with all aspects of their lives including navigating systems and challenges related to schooling, transportation, housing, food insecurity, childcare and beyond to ensure they could successfully reach their goals. Coordinated and facilitated regular meetings with community members including county workers, school personnel and therapists to generate family support systems. Guided and supervised staff interactions with families and community members to ensure positive working relationships. Lead teams in the development, implementation, and regular evaluation of the individualized family team plans. Show less