Stephanie Gambone changed the trajectory of her life and channeled what she faced to help change the paths of other’s lives through her work during and prior to becoming president and CEO of Junior Achievement (JA) of Southeastern Pennsylvania in 2021.
Q: What originally inspired you to work with young people?
I was born in Philadelphia to teen parents and was a first-gen college student. So, for me, it's really personal because I have seen how opportunities like this can really impact a young person's life. Couple that with the fact that I've been working with young people for 23 years. I have seen firsthand how access to opportunities can really change the trajectory of a young person's life…I know our young people are the future, and given the right kinds of resources and access, they can do incredible things.
Q: Did you always know you wanted to be a president/CEO?
No, and part of it is as a young woman growing up in a neighborhood where people didn't always think about the future in really aspirational ways, I wanted to be what I saw around me or saw on TV. I think I've always been a natural leader, but I liked leading from behind the scenes for so long. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I thought I actually want to take my skills, passion and knowledge to the next level. I also get to show my eight year old that you can change your career path.
Q: What is the most rewarding part of your role at JA?
What has fulfilled me the most and continues to do so is seeing the impact that the work that we do has on young people. For example, we had our entrepreneurship student summit where company teams across the region compete. I had a parent come up to me. She said her daughter entered this program when she was 16 years old, and now she's talking about running a business, debits and credits, and marketing. That's why we do what we do: to help young people be prepared for jobs in the future, to be entrepreneurially minded, and to be financially fluent.
Q: How can the Greater Berks County community get involved with Junior Achievement?
We rely heavily on external volunteers to deliver our programming: individuals, corporate partners, retirees, anyone. We really want to get young people access to this type of programming and to people in the field who understand the skills and are doing it every day. The second piece is that we're always looking for partners to really help move the organization forward, whether it's from a funding or advocacy perspective in helping get the word out about JA. We are serving eight counties that are pretty spread out, and I want to make sure that we have a real presence in the communities that we serve and that we're engaging people in those communities.
Q: What helps you fill your own cup outside of work?
I spend a lot of time with my husband, Paul, and my daughter, Mia, and seeing life through her lens, which is rewarding. Being a leader of a nonprofit can consume you, so I make sure to build in time with myself, my family and my friends, and time outside of working just enjoying life. We like to travel and explore new places, from overnight trips to extended vacations. We take our dog, Coco, with us when we can.
LEARN MORE
Career Outcomes. 73 percent of JA alumni who graduated from college say they work in a field they studied in college.
Become a partner. Visit southeasternpa.ja.org to discover how you can have an impact on K-12 students in Berks County.
