Apex employee speaks at Junior Achievement Breakfast
On Wednesday, November 13, Mayra Ledesma Tavera, an Apex employee and a 2010 graduate of Amon Carter Riverside High School in Fort Worth, Texas, spoke at a Junior Achievement fundraiser, where she shared her story with 280 business professionals about how Junior Achievement touched her life and made a difference in her career path.
Tavera’s Story
While in high school, Tavera held a part-time job at a fast food restaurant to provide income for her family she also acted as a care giver to her family. Her father was disabled and unable to work. Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.
When someone at a young age experiences these challenges, it can be very difficult to attend college and select a career path, but Tavera never gave up.
Opportunity knocked in 2010, during Tavera’s senior year of high school when she met Dean Tetirick, Vice President at Apex Capital Corp and a Junior Achievement volunteer. Tetirick was a volunteer in her classroom as part of his involvement in Junior Achievement. After working with the students, Tetirick encouraged them to apply for any open positions at Apex Capital.
With the encouragement of her teacher, Tavera applied for an open position in the mailroom and received the job. With this foundation, Tavera worked her way up and three years later, she is an auditor at Apex Capital and is working towards her college degree.
Giving Back
During her speech, Tavera called JA “a blessing” and because of her inspiring speech, the fundraiser was able to raise $110,000, well over Junior Achievement’s goal of $75,000. This money will go directly to sustaining Junior Achievement programs in the classroom, so more students like Tavera will have a chance to reach their full potential.
Apex Capital is a proud sponsor of Junior Achievement and stories like Mayra Tavera’s are powerful examples of how Junior Achievement volunteers and programs make a difference to so many students. Apex Capital supports and encourages employee involvement in Junior Achievement in the classroom each semester and participates in several JA fundraisers throughout the year.
About Junior Achievement
Junior Achievement is an international nonprofit that engages young people in planning for their economic success. Volunteers use interactive learning programs to educate students in K-12 about college preparation, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. The goal of JA is to prepare and inspire children to reach their potential for success in a global economy.
According to JA’s website “Junior Achievement impacts 4 million U.S. students in more than 176,000 classrooms. With the help of 178,000 volunteers, JA students develop the skills they need to experience the realities and opportunities of work and entrepreneurship in the 21st-century global marketplace.”
During the 2012-2013 school year 1,500 volunteers impacted the lives of 30,582 students in the Greater Tarrant County area, an increase of 1,563 students in one year.
Watch Mayra tell her story on the Apex YouTube Page