IMLPs Getting Involved

© www.jamemphis.orgOne of the great things about working at GE is the number of opportunities you have to serve your community. As IMLPs, we are particularly encouraged to get involved and give back! Since I arrived in Atlanta, GA for my first rotation as an IMLP, I had been hearing about all the volunteer opportunities in the area through GE. I started to participate in various community service events throughout my first months at GE and was shocked and impressed to see how many employees and leaders at GE were so involved! These experiences made me want to look into giving more of my time to the company’s ongoing volunteer efforts. One opportunity in particular struck a chord with me.

The GE Energy IMLP Program Manager, Ben Phillips, sent an email out to the Atlanta IMLPs about an opportunity to get involved with Junior Achievement. Junior Achievement, or JA, is a nonprofit organization financed by business, foundations, governments, and individuals. The organization is dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. In partnership with businesses and educators, JA brings the real world to students, opening their minds to their potential. The event that I had the opportunity to participate in on October 12 was called “JA in a Day,” where volunteers spend half a day in a class room, teaching a course to the students. I had the pleasure of working with Ms. Johnson’s ninth grade class at Campbell High School and teaching the JA course called “Careers with a Purpose.”

I walked into the school the morning of the 12^th, armed with a large bag of candy for “positive reinforcement” in an effort to help capture the attention of a room of 25 14 year-olds.  Long story short, the day went pretty much as I expected: some students actively participating, others more interested in talking to their neighbors; some students actually interested in the lesson, others more interested in the candy, and so on. However there were a few shining moments in the class when the students would ask questions that both showed they were really curious about their futures, and also really made me think about my own.  As an IMLP, I am doing something that I am interested in and investing in a career that I am truly passionate about. I am so lucky.

At the end of the day, I asked all of the students to say something they learned from the course or that they would take away from our time together. Many students listed some of the terminology we went over or named the different career paths we discussed, enough effort to earn a piece of candy. However, one student (one who originally seemed more interested in talking to his friends than paying any attention to the course materials) gave a response that was so simple, but at the same time made me realize that if, at the end of the course, one young person gets it, the day has been a success. His comment reinforced why I wanted to volunteer with JA in in the first place and why I want to continue volunteering with Junior Achievement, sharing my “real-world” experiences  so far as an IMLP.

He said: “Today, I learned that no matter what you want to do, it’s important to start thinking about your future early. Find something you’re passionate about and find a way to make a career out of it. Think about your goals and what you need to do to achieve those goals. And don’t let anything or anyone get in your way.”