Q&A with JA Fellows Alum: Jabari Moore

How many years were you in the JA Fellows program?

I was in JA Fellows for 2 years.

What year did you graduate from high school?

I graduated in 2012.

What college do you attend, what's your major and expected graduation year?

I am currently a senior at University of Georgia majoring in Finance. I will be graduating in May.

Favorite food?

My favorite food is macaroni and cheese.

Tell us your story!

JA played an integral role in my success through the various opportunities to network and learn about entrepreneurship. I was originally planning to be a chef, but through my experience with JA, I learned more about other professions and had access to professionals with tangible experience they could share with me.

Through JA I had the opportunity to do a job shadow with a venture capitalist and that changed the outlook of my professional life. Since graduating from high school and entering college, I have carried my interest for venture capital and entrepreneurship intomy studies and work experience. I've interned at a start-up incubator in Atlanta and a start-up and a venture capital fund in Silicon Valley.

JA was integral in sparking the professional interests I currently have. It is so inspiring to see the next generation of innovators participating in JA programs, and I am looking forward to being a part of their journey.

Local leaders recognized for contributions to Atlanta business community

Junior Achievement (JA) of Georgia inducted Paul Bowers, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Georgia Power, and Larry Gellerstedt, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cousins Properties into the Junior Achievement Atlanta Business Hall of Fame on Sat., Feb. 27, 2016 at the InterContinental Hotel Buckhead. Nearly 700 guests were in attendance to honor Bowers and Gellerstedt as they joined the ranks of 87 influential Atlantans who hold a spot in the hall of fame for their significant contributions to Atlanta’s civic and economic vibrancy.

 Since 1989, the JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame has been held to honor dynamic business and civic leaders who have shaped Atlanta into the vibrant city it is today. This year’s event broke records raising more than $750,000 to support JA of Georgia and its efforts to equip the next generation with the confidence and understanding to take control of their futures.

Paul Bowers has been an influential part of the Southern Company and the Atlanta community for nearly four decades, and his 36 year career with Southern Company has taken him throughout the country and world. He began at Gulf Power in 1979, and has held various leadership positions within the company since. From Chief Financial Officer to President of Southern Company Generation, he went on to become the CEO of Southern Power before being named president and CEO of the company’s former U.K. subsidiary. Through these roles, Bowers has played an integral role in shaping the progress and success of Southern Company. He is the chair for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the Chairman of the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation, and serves on the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and multiple other boards throughout the state. Today as Chairman, President and CEO of Georgia Power since 2011, Bowers’ leadership continues to be marked by notable contributions to the company and community.

Larry Gellerstedt’s career has spanned more than 35 years and various industries, and his commitment to his community has only deepened over that time. Gellerstedt’s career of leadership began young; at 26 he founded and became president of BCB, a Beers Construction Company (Beers) subsidiary that was focused on the healthcare industry. He went on to grow the company to revenues of more than $1.2 billion before selling and shifting his focus to real estate. In 2009, Gellerstedt was named President and CEO of Cousins Properties after joining the company in 2005. His start at Beers in 1978 laid the ground work for a successful and diversified career that has spanned more than 30 years with numerous leading roles across businesses and local organizations. From Founder and Past Chair of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, to Chairman of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, Gellerstedt has played an active role in shaping the philanthropic and civic landscape of the metro area.

 The night was marked by many memorable moments, including the keynote speech from Mitchell Alvarado, the math teacher at the JA-MBA at Banneker High School. Alvarado shared moving stories of student discoveries and transformations that have already taken place, as well as the development of the new culture that is building within the program.

 “You are truly giving these kids hope when there was none,” said Alvarado. “This is not just educating, this is saving their lives. The role you are playing with JA is truly impacting the future of my students, their community, your career force, and is transforming the system of education.”

Q&A with JA Fellows Alum: Allison Burns

How many years were you in the JA Fellows program?

I was in the JA Fellows program for two years.

What year did you graduate from high school?

I graduated from high school in 2015.

What college do you attend, and what's your major and expected graduation year?

I am a part of Howard University’s class of 2019 as a political science and Spanish double major.

Favorite food?

My favorite foods are hot wings and burritos from Willy’s!

What are some of your recent achievements? What is your proudest achievement in life?

I currently attend Howard University on the Founder’s Scholarship, which is a full academic scholarship. I was also recently invited to join Howard’s chapter of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. I also worked with a friend to create the Urban Youth Alliance. This program pairs up college students and high school seniors to provide guidance for the applicants through the college application process. Some of my proudest achievements in life include raising money and serving as an international volunteer with the YMCA international teen program. They also include serving as a translator in a hospital in Pereira, Colombia because I took initiative and stepped outside of my comfort zone in an effort to learn about different cultures and give back to the communities.

What is the most important thing you took from the JA Fellows program that applies to your life now?

The most important things that I took from the JA Fellows program that applies to my life now are organization and business skills. Howard is a school in which you have to be organized and have business and networking skills in order to be successful and I feel that JA prepared me well for this environment.

How do you think the JA Fellows program, in conjunction to what you have learned since leaving the program impacted your career readiness?

The JA Fellows program puts you in a business environment very early, preparing you for the real world. Even though I did not want to go to school for business, the lessons that I learned from the process that I went through with JA prepared me well for career opportunities in general. It prepared me for little things, like knowing what’s appropriate to wear to an interview and how to give presentations in front of large groups of people.