Volunteering your time is a great way to give back to the community, which is something many people are looking to do during this time of the year. For local resident Karen Quick, volunteering is something she has been doing for most of her career.
“After graduating from Arizona State University, I went to work for Arthur Andersen as an auditor and was fortunate enough to become a corporate sponsor of Junior Achievement companies, moving into the mentor role.”
Junior Achievement of Arizona (JA) is a nonprofit organization that helps Arizona students to find success in work and life by giving them the knowledge and skills they need to manage their money, plan for their future, and make smart choices. Quick says her involvement with JA grew over time, “growing beyond volunteering in the classroom to supporting the development of new programs and educational assets, participating in fundraising activities, joining the board of directors in 2014, and becoming an all-around ambassador for the organization. After I retired from my corporate role, I now get to spend much of my retirement time volunteering with a focus on career mentorship for middle and high school students and young adults.”
That time is clearly well spent, as Quick was recently awarded the Junior Achievement’s Gold Leadership Award. The award honors volunteer excellence and recognizes just a few select people from over 150,000 volunteers across the United States.
“Being selected as one of 23 recipients out of over 150,000 volunteers for the 2023 Junior Achievement Gold Leadership Award is the pinnacle recognition for the time and energy I have put forth over my life helping Arizona students learn the skills and figure out their career pathways to be successful.”
For Quick, this award reinforces the importance of the role she serves as a community volunteer.
“Knowing that an organization values their volunteers enough to provide this type of recognition completes my sense of worth that not only am I helping youth along their life journey, but the organization I am partnering with recognizes the importance of my role,” she says.
The award isn’t the only rewarding part of being involved with Junior Achievement for Quick.
“My heightened awareness of the educational and social gaps for Arizona students has driven my passion to help wherever I can to narrow the gaps and help future generations be successful in work and life,” she adds. “Being able to help today’s students identify their pathways to success, both personally and professionally, brings me personal satisfaction.”
She also shares that many people from the organization have become friends, and through her networking, she has learned things she didn’t know before about local organizations and companies.
For Quick, it is also a reminder that there are always people out there who can benefit from any time you have to support them and help address any issues they are facing. “The personal rewards you get from volunteering almost always meets, and often exceeds, the benefits you provide to those you are working with.”