4 Leadership and Life Lessons: Reflections on 12 Years with Junior Achievement

Looking back on my 12 years with the Ottawa Network for Education as the former Director of Junior Achievement (JA) Ottawa, I am filled with gratitude for the people, experiences, and lessons that have shaped both my personal and professional growth.

JA is all about building entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and career readiness—key skills to help young people thrive in life. JA Ottawa volunteers have helped inspire over 70,000 local students since day one. It’s been incredibly rewarding work that’s helped me grow personally and professionally, and it’s come with its challenges too.

Over the past eight months, I’ve chosen to take time off to rest, recharge, and recover from burnout. This break has helped me find balance, gain clarity, reflect on key lessons, and really rethink what really matters to me.

I want to share four key takeaways from my time leading the program. My hope is that these insights encourage you to prioritize your health, stay true to your values, and focus on what’s truly important to you.

1. Align Your Work with Your Values

Values are the foundation of personal and professional growth. In my leadership journey, I’ve learned how important it is to work in an environment that not only respects your values but aligns with them. When there’s a disconnect, it can slowly wear you down. For me, this misalignment led to burnout twice in the last two years.

As a leader, I always tried to model respect, kindness, and compassion. But I also realized that staying in an environment where those values aren’t returned only leads to frustration. Ultimately, I had to make the tough decision to leave. It wasn’t easy, but it was necessary to protect my mental health and stay true to what matters most to me.

Lesson: Don’t let others dim your light. Be around people and places that align with your values. Your health and happiness are worth tough talks and making the changes that help you thrive.

2. Lead with Empathy and Authenticity

Genuine leadership is all about empathy and being authentic. Over the years, I’ve seen how leading with compassion, kindness, and creating a culture of respect and teamwork can truly inspire and motivate people.

I’ve realized that leadership is about seeing and valuing the humanity in others. After losing my father, one of the toughest times in my life, I truly felt how important empathy is. Even though I worked hard to keep things on track, I saw how a lack of understanding from leadership can make things really tough and create an unhealthy environment for anyone facing personal challenges.

Lesson: Leading with empathy and authenticity go a long way in creating a positive and supportive environment. When you value people as humans first, it builds trust and teamwork, especially when they’re going through tough times.

3. The Power of One Caring Adult

One of the best parts of working with JA was seeing the huge impact mentorship can have. Research shows that having one responsible adult in a child's life other than their parents is crucial for the child's overall development and well-being. Through JA, I saw this firsthand—volunteers, staff, and mentors made a huge difference in the lives of students.

These experiences reminded me of the power of community. Together, we gave young people the tools to dream big, build confidence, and start working toward their goals. I’m proud to have played a part in creating those opportunities, and it’s been great staying in touch with many of the young people who went through the program.

Lesson: It only takes one caring adult to change a young person’s life. Be that person. 

4. Sustainable success starts with self-care

Burnout is a wake-up call. It’s a reminder to take a step back, rethink what matters most, and focus on what’s really important for your well-being.

When you’re pushing yourself to do your best, it’s easy to forget to take care of yourself. I definitely learned this the hard way. Long hours and pushing myself to make sure everything went well took a toll on my health—both physical and mental. Going through burnout twice really opened my eyes and made me rethink my priorities.

Taking time off to rest, reflect, and recharge was one of the best decisions I’ve made. It taught me that setting boundaries and taking care of yourself isn’t just important—it’s essential to stay in the game for the long run. Now, I share this lesson with others, especially the young people I mentor.

Lesson: Balance is key. Make your well-being a priority, and encourage others to do the same.

Gratitude and Moving Forward

As I close this chapter, I am profoundly grateful for the experiences and people who shaped my journey. To the students, volunteers, and colleagues who made these 12 years unforgettable: thank you. Your support and dedication have meant more to me than I can put into words.

Big shoutout to the JA Team (past and present) – I’ve been lucky to work with so many amazing people. Special thanks to Kristina Price , Robyn Lester , Rebecca Kaell , Steven Jones , Bonnie Thornington , Sonia Simoneau , Michelle Takacs, Laurie Miggins , Sarah Pétrin-Perron , and Madeline Wang . You all kept me grounded, made me laugh, shared so much wisdom, and always had my back. You gave it your all, and I'm beyond grateful for each of you.

I want to express my heartfelt thanks to a few key people who helped me start this journey with ONFE and JA back in 2012. 

A huge thanks to two amazing leaders Eli Fathi C.M. and George Brown for making the time to chat with me back in 2011 when I had no idea what I wanted to do next in my career. You both made key introductions, opened doors, and have been amazing mentors ever since.

Founding ONFE President and CEO, Kathy Comfort , along with entrepreneurs Stephen Daze and Micheal B. , took a chance on me—a former accountant with zero experience in program management, volunteer management, or networking. What I did have was a strong desire to make a difference in my community.

To my mentors on the JA Ottawa Advisory Group, who care deeply about fostering the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation in our local youth – a heartfelt thank you! Stephen Daze (Emeritus), Shan Gu , Katharine Cornfield, MBA , Darryl Bandoro , Manu Sharma , Maria Artuso , Jason Daley , Chrystiane Mallaley , Tuan N. , Julia Banks, Annie Zhang , and Jordan Vecchio your guidance and support mean the world to me. Grateful for all the wisdom and encouragement you’ve shared! 🙏✨

To my friend, and career coach, Julie Caldwell – thank you for guiding me through this transition process with such a thoughtful and structured approach. Your support has made all the difference, and I’m so grateful for your wisdom and encouragement! 🙏✨

Finally, a big thank you to Lee-Ann Scott . If I hadn’t been in that burrito buffet line with you and you hadn’t stopped to say hi, I would never have found out about the opportunity to work with ONFE. Your passion and kindness helped me find a job that was truly uplifting and fulfilling.

I hope you remember this: put your health first, stick to your values, and always try to make a difference.

I’m really excited for what’s coming up and can’t wait to keep making a positive impact. I’ll be sharing my next chapter with you all soon!

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts—how do you prioritize your well-being and align your work with your values? Let’s keep this important conversation going.

#Leadership #Gratitude #MentalHealthAwareness #Mentors