Moriarty & Primack Brings JA to Kiley Middle School

SPRINGFIELD — Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts (JA) and Moriarty & Primack teamed up to bring JA’s Economics for Success program to all the eighth-graders at M. Marcus Kiley Middle School in Springfield last month.

Moriarty & Primack Partner Douglas Theobald, CPA, noted that, “as a firm, we believe that giving back to the community is important, and we instill that in our employees. As a firm, we would like to thank Junior Achievement and Kiley Middle School for opening their doors to us and allowing the pleasure of meeting and teaching their students.”

Added Jennifer Connolly, Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts president, “JA has a long-standing partnership with Moriarty & Primack. We are very fortunate to have their employees share their knowledge, time, and talents with our young people. Moriarty & Primack’s commitment to Junior Achievement is an investment that will help us all build a better tomorrow.”

Dahimeli Mercado, Moriarty & Primack staff accountant, noted that “to be able to teach students how to budget their income, and what getting an education after your high-school diploma can mean for your income, is a valuable lesson for everyone. Due to Moriarty & Primack’s foundation and support for volunteering, it allowed myself and my co-workers to share our experiences, education, and time to make even the smallest impact on the students.”

Mark Laurenzano, guidance counselor at Kiley Middle School, said school officials appreciated Moriarty & Primack stepping forward to volunteer for so JA classes. “The students are eager to learn more about JA and business. Many of our students have participated in JA job-shadow experience. They are excited to work with the JA volunteers in the classroom today and learn about creating a budget.”

JA programs empower students to make a connection between what they learn in school and how it can be applied in the real world, enhancing the relevance of their classroom learning and increasing their understanding of the value of staying in school. Each year JA reaches more than 10 million students worldwide and helps to develop successful financial-management habits, empowering them to explore the potential of becoming an entrepreneur and providing them with the skills necessary to succeed in a global workforce. Locally, Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts reaches more than 11,000 students.