JA Volunteer Spotlight: Tina Heichelbech

Author: Junior Achievement of Southwestern Indiana
Community Involvement
Published: Thursday, 17 Feb 2022

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Image caption: JA Volunteer: Tina Heichelbech

Junior Achievement of Southwestern Indiana spotlights a local volunteer through an in-depth interview to showcase the true value a JA Volunteer provides to the local community.

JA: Are you currently employed? If so, please list the organization and your role.

TH: Yes, I have worked for Kimball International for 38 years. I currently serve as a Technical Support Specialist.

JA: How long have you volunteered with JA?

TH: This is my 13^th year volunteering with JA.

JA: Why did you initially choose to volunteer with JA?

TH: Kimball was looking for volunteers and I love kids. I also loved JA as a student when I was in high school.

JA: What do you enjoy most about Junior Achievement programs?

TH: I like that each year builds on the year before and continues to teach the kids life lessons in a way they don’t even realize they are learning.

JA: What reason would you give to another community member on why they should volunteer with Junior Achievement of Southwestern Indiana?

TH: It is very rewarding to see the kids learn and grow with what you are teaching them. I was very nervous the first time I went, but JA gives you step by step instructions of what to go over with the kids. It’s really easy!

JA: How do you feel JA prepares students for the “real world”?

TH: I usually teach K, 1^st or 2^nd grade. In these grades, JA teaches students about how families are different, but we all can help our family and neighborhood. These grades also learn how jobs and money work.

JA: What is your preferred method of volunteering for JA and why?

TH: I prefer to be in the classroom through hands-on activities and helping the students learn the JA Program. I love watching students faces as they figure out the things I’m teaching them. It amazes me how quickly they catch on and are excited to participate.

JA: What is one of your favorite JA moments?

TH: I remember one year that I was teaching the kids between ‘needs’ and ‘wants’. I always tell them that Food is a ‘need’.. but McDonalds is a ‘want’. You could tell they really understood because after that, they were telling me almost everything I showed them that was a need, could also be a want!

JA: Are you a Junior Achievement Alum. If so, tell us about your Junior Achievement experience when you were a student and how it has contributed to your career.

TH: Yes I was in JA all 4 years of high school. I loved it. I learned a lot about how to decide what we wanted to make, find the supplies to make it and how to decide how to market it and how much to charge. I think those skills are things needed in all parts of life...not just my career! It gave me an understanding of how things work behind the scenes for everything that I purchase in life.