Local enterpreneur donates time and funding to benefit local students

Doug Heins, a Spring Lake resident and owner of Doug Heins - State Farm agency believes in the success of area students as well as the importance of them achieving successful financial literacy and entrepreneurship training. Why?  Because Heins is a JA alumnus himself and understands the impact JA can make on students.  Having learned the value of financial education, workplace readiness and the importance of entrepreneurship to his community, Heins transferred this knowledge to his own life becoming a local State Farm agency owner.  “JA helps young adults through giving them real world projects and insights. JA is a wonderful learning experience for the students, and the volunteer,” said Heins.  State Farm supports him and other State Farm volunteers with JA with a gift of $10,000 to Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes (JAMGL).

 As part of his dedication to the community and to the betterment of the student experience, Heins became a Junior Achievement classroom volunteer.  The students learn what it means to be an entrepreneur and to work in the community. Guided by the JA curriculum, Heins shares his own experiences as an entrepreneur.  “Having a volunteer who not only wants to share his expertise with his own community, but understands the value of sharing his entrepreneurial spirit with students from across the region is truly a treasure to JA and to our students,” said Laura Lutterbeck, JAMGL Education Director.  “We love to watch our JA alums continue the tradition and create learning experiences and memories for a new generation of young people.”

“JA is grateful for our donors and volunteers who work around the region to empower the next generation and turn students’ “I can’t” into “I can”, and their dreams into plans”, said Bill Coderre, President and CEO of Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes.  “Partners like State Farm Insurance help JA create life changing outcomes for students.”  Half of JA alumni report having started one or more businesses in their lifetime, and 72 percent of those who own a business report that it is still operating today. JA alumni are 30 percent more likely to have a college degree and 67 percent more likely than their peers to have an advanced degree. Additionally, JA students move out of poverty at a significantly higher rate and earn on average 20 percent more than the general population.

Junior Achievement’s mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy by providing work readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship programs to K-12 students. If you would like to support Junior Achievement of The Michigan Great Lakes either financially or by volunteering, please call 616-575-9080.