Darlington Senior Raises Over $1,800 for JA of Georgia Through Student-Led Entrepreneurship Initiative

Caroline Frost, JA of Georgia Staff, accepts check from Darlington School Students.

ROME, Ga. — Recent Darlington graduate Jaylen Patel turned a passion for entrepreneurship into real-world impact by raised more than $1,800 for Junior Achievement of Georgia (JA of Georgia). Developed through Darlington’s Senior Ventures program, the project gave students hands-on experience in building, marketing, and selling a product while supporting JA’s mission of preparing young people for success through financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and work readiness.

“Ideas are easy to talk about, but execution is harder,” said Patel. “I wanted to create an experience where students could learn entrepreneurship by actually doing it.”

The project’s centerpiece, “The Product Project,” challenged upper-classmen students to create and sell a tangible product within the Darlington community. Rather than approaching the experience as a simple fundraiser, Jaylen and ‘Dar Shop’ manager Rana Andrews conducted peer interviews and analyzed school store sales to identify trends within the student body. Their research revealed a strong interest in everyday school apparel, ultimately leading the team to design and launch a custom Darlington hoodie.

Students then collaborated with Doug Hamil, head of Moser House and a professional graphic designer, to refine the product’s design before presenting the concept to Darlington Chief Communications Officer Tannika King for approval. From there, the team developed a preorder sales strategy and marketing campaign designed to maximize efficiency and profitability while giving students hands-on experience managing sales and promotions.

An inside look at what Darlington students complete during their Senior Venture.

The project ultimately raised more than $1,800 for Junior Achievement of Georgia, supporting the organization’s mission to empower students through financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and work readiness education.

“I chose Junior Achievement because its mission naturally aligned with what I wanted this project to accomplish,” Patel said. “My goal was not simply to talk to students about entrepreneurship, but to give them real experience in what it takes to build something from idea to execution.”

Inspired by the success of the initiative, Patel also expanded the project to younger students through a Pitch Project Competition for students in grades 4-8. Participants developed original business ideas and presented them to a panel of alumni entrepreneurs in front of a live audience. Patel worked directly with students to strengthen their presentations, refine their value propositions, and build confidence in public speaking.

Senior Ventures is Darlington School’s year-long academic program built on leadership, innovation, and community engagement. Through the program, selected seniors independently develop interdisciplinary projects that are investigative, entrepreneurial, performance-based, or community-focused in scope.

Patel said he hopes the project demonstrates the value of introducing entrepreneurship education at an early age.

“If students are exposed to entrepreneurship earlier in life, they gain time to experiment, build confidence, and learn from failure before entering the real world,” Patel said. “Entrepreneurship is not learned solely through theory, but through action.”

Jaylen Patel, Darlington Class of 2026

About Jaylen Patel

Jaylen Patel is a recent graduate of Darlington School with a strong foundation in entrepreneurship, hospitality development, and real estate management. In addition to serving as Editor-in-Chief of Darlington's nationally recognized yearbook, Jaylen also served as the President of Arts Council, and founder of multiple student-led entrepreneurial initiatives. Patel actively manages his own real estate company and gains extensive experience working alongside hotel development and management professionals. These experiences have given Jaylen practical insight into finance, operations, and strategic growth, shaping his long-term commitment to building businesses and creating impactful ventures.

About Darlington School Senior Ventures

Senior Ventures is a year-long academic program at Darlington School that empowers students to pursue self-guided projects rooted in leadership, innovation, and community engagement. Through independent exploration and experiential learning, students develop initiatives that connect academic interests with real-world impact.

About Junior Achievement of Georgia

Junior Achievement (JA) of Georgia is a business- integrated education partner with expertise in experiential learning that successfully develops key mindsets and skills for students to lead meaningful and successful lives. JA’s high-impact programs drive long-term outcomes in areas of financial literacy, career readiness, and fostering the entrepreneurial spirit, and are delivered by corporate and community volunteers. JA of Georgia offers multiple programs, with a focus on middle and high school students, including JA BizTown, JA Finance Park, 3DE by Junior Achievement, and the JA Dream Accelerator. JA of Georgia has locations in Atlanta, Cumming, Dalton, Evans, Morrow, and Savannah.

Dalton Legend named 2026 JA Northwest Georgia Business Hall of Fame Laureate

Dalton, GA — Junior Achievement of Georgia (JA of Georgia) has named W.L. “Tommy” Thompson as their 2026 JA Northwest Georgia Business Hall of Fame Laureate.

JA of Georgia is proud to host the 20th annual gala and continue the tradition of honoring titans of the northwest Georgia business community. The elegant event will take place on Thursday, March 5, 2026, in the Dalton Convention Center.

Worth L. (Tommy) Thompson graduated from the University of Georgia in 1965 and began his career selling construction materials throughout the Southeast before becoming manager of a fuel jobbership in Gwinnett County in 1967. In 1983, he purchased a Phillips 66–branded jobbership in Dalton from Broaderick Oil Company and grew the business, now known as Thompson Energy, to more than $400 million in annual sales before selling the company, including 43 convenience stores and fuel centers, to MAPCO in 2006. Following the sale, Tommy formed Thompson-Kenny with Josh Kenny, acquiring a wholesale fuel dealership in metro Atlanta that has since grown into one of the largest in Georgia, while also continuing to expand his fuel transport business, Spirit Express, which he sold in 2025. In 2018, he and business partner, Jason Denson, purchased Brooker Ford, now Ford of Dalton. Beyond his business success, Tommy has demonstrated longstanding civic leadership, including serving as Chairman of the Gwinnett Hospital Authority in 1980, where he led bond sales to build a new medical center that later became part of Northside Hospital. In 1986, he traveled to Washington, D.C., to secure approval to form Commercial Bank of Gwinnett, which later acquired Commercial Bank of Georgia. Tommy served as Chairman of Energy Marketers of America in 2022, representing petroleum marketers across all 50 states. He also serves on the board of Dalton Utilities, is Vice Chair of the Ross Woods board, Chairman of The Tent Ministries board, and remains active at The Church on the Hill, in addition to serving as past chair of the Georgia Oilman’s Association and multiple oil company advisory boards.

In addition to the formal induction of Thompson, the evening will also honor Anna Adamson & Zack Adamson, both individually, as their 2026 Rising Stars. The 20th JA Northwest Georgia Business Hall of Fame will welcome guests to a cocktail hour, a seated dinner, followed by a tribute to the ground-breaking programs JA of Georgia is bringing to the Greater Dalton area.

“We are delighted to be recognizing Tommy Thompson and the Adamsons,” said Caroline Frost, Director of Development for JA of Georgia in Northwest Georgia. “Their commitment and generosity have shaped our community for years, and it is especially meaningful to honor them during our 20th anniversary.”

To learn more about the JA Northwest Georgia Business Hall of Fame, sponsorship opportunities, our laureate, or to purchase a ticket, please visit georgia.ja.org/dalton-hall-of-fame. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the event, please email Caroline Frost at cfrost@georgia.ja.org.

Crawford & Usry named 2026 JA Greater Augusta Business Hall of Fame Laureates

Augusta, GA — Junior Achievement of Georgia (JA of Georgia) has named Delores “Dee” Crawford, Former McDonald’s franchisee and Community Advocate, and Brad Usry, President of Fat Man’s Hospitality Group, as their 2026 JA Greater Augusta Business Hall of Fame Laureates.

JA of Georgia, with  is proud to host the 13th annual gala and continue the tradition of honoring titans of the Greater Augusta business community, presented with generous support from our Diamond Sponsor, Georgia’s Own Credit Union. The elegant event will take place on Thursday, March 19, 2026, in the Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center.

Delores “Dee” Crawford became a McDonald’s franchisee in 1987 and spent three decades building a successful seven-restaurant organization in the Central Savannah River Area before selling her restaurants in 2018. She began her career as a Systems Analyst and Marketing Representative with IBM in the Washington, D.C. area and continues to be passionate about construction, development, and affordable housing. As an owner-operator, her organization earned several Outstanding Restaurant and Manager Awards, and she helped found the McDonald’s Women Operators Network, later serving as a National Director. She was also active in the National Black McDonald’s Operators Association and the South Carolina McDonald’s Operators Self-Insurers Fund, earning honors such as Female Entrepreneur of the Year, Minority Business of the Year, and the Girl Scouts Women of Excellence Award. Mrs. Crawford has held leadership roles with Global Ronald McDonald House Charities, the Savannah River Banking Company, the University Health Care Foundation, and advisory boards at Augusta University and USC Aiken. She has also contributed significantly to the arts through service with Juilliard in Aiken, the Morris Museum of Art, and the South Carolina Arts Commission, where she served two terms as Chair. A Fisk University graduate with additional studies at the University of Maryland, she is a native of Ahoskie, North Carolina, and has lived in Aiken, South Carolina, for more than 40 years with her husband, Dr. George I. Crawford, where they raised three children and now enjoy six grandchildren.

Brad Usry is a husband, father, grandfather, community advocate, and business leader raised in Augusta, where he attended the Academy of Richmond County and served as Captain of the basketball team. He continued his athletic career at Augusta University, lettering for four years and serving as Captain his senior season before graduating in 1982 with a degree in Business Administration and Marketing. After college, he joined the family business, Fat Man’s Forest, and later stepped into leadership following his father’s passing, guiding the company through significant growth. Today, he is a partner in Fat Man’s Hospitality Group alongside his son, Havird, operating four restaurants and the Enterprise Mill Event Center. A committed community advocate, Usry helped found the Augusta Sports Council and has served on the boards of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Boys and Girls Club, the Georgians First Commission, and the Augusta University Board of Trustees. For the past fifteen years, he has served as Vice Chairman of the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority and currently leads the committee overseeing renovations to The Bell Auditorium and development of the New Augusta Arena. Married to his college sweetheart, Paige, for forty-three years, he is the proud father of two sons and the grandfather of two granddaughters, and he remains deeply engaged in supporting student-athletes through a family scholarship at Augusta University.

In addition to the formal induction of Crawfors and Usry, the evening will also honor Jane Marie Kinsey, President of McKnight Construction Company, as the 2026 Rising Star. The 13th JA Greater Augusta Business Hall of Fame will welcome guests to a cocktail hour, a seated dinner, followed by a tribute to the ground-breaking programs JA of Georgia is bringing to the Greater Augusta area, and concluding with a champagne toast to the newest laureates.

“We are delighted to be welcoming Dee and Brad into our established laureate society,” said Laney Mize, Director of Development for JA of Georgia for the CSRA. “We’ve long admired their contributions to our community, and we’re thrilled to celebrate their impact on March 19th.”

To learn more about the JA Greater Augusta Business Hall of Fame, sponsorship opportunities, our laureates, or to purchase a ticket, please visit georgia.ja.org/greater-augusta-hall-of-fame. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the event, please email Laney Mize at lmize@georgia.ja.org.