Volunteer Spotlight - Bill Verzal
Author: Ed Grocholski
Corporate Responsibility
Published:
Wednesday, 21 Apr 2021
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Volunteer Spotlight - Bill Verzal
Image caption: Bill Verzal - Volunteer Spotlight Junior Achievement
“It’s crucial that we set up our next generation of adults for success and do our little part to help them prepare for adulting.”
As father to four adopted kids and with experience as a youth pastor and fire fighter, Bill Verzal understands the big-picture benefits of mentoring today’s youth. Among the ways Bill gives back is by volunteering with Junior Achievement through his role as a Principal Systems Analyst with Discover in Chicago.
As soon as he became aware that Discover had a partnership with JA, he raised his hand to conduct both in-classroom and virtual presentations whenever he had time in his schedule. He has led classroom trainings, staffed job fairs, chaired tables at JA trivia events, and most recently conducted a virtual JA Finance Park workshop for Chicago Public Schools focused on budgeting and bank accounts.
“My motivation is to ensure that all kids have mentorship opportunities,” said Bill, who is passionate about helping teens navigate the professional world and learn to problem solve. “I’m so pleased to supplement kids’ education and prepare them with some basic, vital life skills and career advice.”
“I describe what I do when I volunteer as ‘life trouble shooting.’ Just like most things in life, having plans b and c are always good ideas, and it’s always ok to pivot – just be prepared to do so.”
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