On March 4, 2011, I had the privilege of serving as a mentor at Junior Achievement of North Florida’s 6th annual Teen Entrepreneurship Conference.  The full-day conference at the University of North Florida accepted just over 100 local girls, age 15-17, to participate in the event.

I spent the day talking to the girls about the law and business, education decisions, and career paths.  I guided them through entrepreneurial strategies, showed them how to run a business, and helped them balance personal and corporate finances.

I would be remiss, however, if I didn’t admit that the teaching went both ways.  I learned that  these teenages were not the naive, sheltered babes.  While a few did live up to that stereotype, most of these girls had dispositions much more mature than I would have expected. 

For instance, one girl was educating me about the reputation that many students at each school had–both good and bad–and had a very detailed analysis to support her position.  She showed concern about the quality of the education in Duval county, and frankly discussed why some students are able to excel while others falter.

Yet another girl shared with me that, although she had a newborn and in-laws under her roof, she was determined to excel in school and attend a good college.  She was keenly aware that the cards were stacked against her, yet she counted her blessings with the support she had from her family.

I’m glad I had the opportunity to meet these astute young adults.  They had me so moved that I offered to continue my mentorship, and that they could contact me at any time to talk about school, careers, friends, or life in general.

Filed under: Corporate Law, News & Events by Yau Jo-Anne Sunday, March 6th, 2011