A Full Circle Moment: From a JA BizTown Student to a JA Volunteer

Image caption: Taylor, a JA alum, JA Emerging Leaders Board member and JA Volunteer, back at JA making an impact at JA Finance Park.

Think back to elementary school and that one field trip you couldn’t stop talking about. For Taylor Hellman, that was JA BizTown, formerly known as Exchange City. What started as a fun day out of the classroom turned into something much more.

“It was really the first time I was asked to answer ‘What do I want to be when I grow up?’ in a real way,” Taylor says. “I was used to saying an athlete or a rockstar. JA BizTown made me think a little more practically.”

In just one day, she had a job, managed money, made decisions, and got a small taste of adulthood. It was exciting, a little challenging, and completely memorable.

“For the first time, I started thinking about how what I was learning in school could actually connect to the real world,” she shares.

That moment stuck.

After her BizTown experience, Taylor leaned into her interest in business and started to see things differently. She became curious about money, not in terms of how much, but how to manage it well and what that could mean for her future.

That curiosity eventually led her to a career in accounting, where she now helps others better understand and manage their finances.

Fast forward to today, and Taylor is back at JA of Central Iowa. This time, she is not the student. She is the volunteer, the mentor, and a member of the Emerging Leaders Board.

Now she is the one helping students step into those same roles, ask those same questions, and maybe even have their own lightbulb moment.

“It’s pretty cool to be back and see it from the other side,” Taylor says. “You realize how much of an impact those experiences can really have.”

Her advice for students going through JA today?

“Lean in. Take it all in. It’s not always about making the perfect choice. It’s about using what you learn to make the best decision you can and feeling confident in it.”

Taylor’s story is a great reminder that you never know which moment will stick with you. Sometimes, it’s a single day in BizTown. And sometimes, that one day turns into a full-circle journey years later.