Volunteer Spotlight – Regina O’Neill
Author: Ed Grocholski
Community Involvement
Published:
Tuesday, 20 Apr 2021
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Volunteer Spotlight - Regina O’Neill
Image caption: Regina O'Neill portrait image
“The students gain valuable knowledge and problem-solving skills, yet I believe the greatest benefits are realized by the volunteers. We forge new experiences, gain diversity of thinking, and are connected to people outside of our usual workdays.”
Regina O’Neill, Business Development Director at KPMG, has volunteered for Junior Achievement in the classroom, and as a result of Covid-19, virtually. She was first introduced to JA Finance Park through a colleague who was on the JA Board in Southern California. Coincidentally, at that same time O’Neill received an email from KPMG sharing volunteer opportunities with JA – and thus a passion for volunteering with JA was born.
“I thought, this is such an exciting opportunity for both the volunteers and the students. So, I signed up to help deliver JA instruction and had a great time,” recalls O’Neill.
Through her involvement with JA, O’Neill has volunteered with Los Angeles Public School elementary and high school students helping them develop personal finance skills such as managing credit and cash, understanding income and expenses, and starting businesses.
O’Neill recalls one instance where she witnessed a student make a breakthrough. “Teaching high school students can be intimidating for the students and the volunteers. In one class, we were able to coax a reluctant student to share his entrepreneurship idea, and the entire class loved it. In that moment the student gained confidence to be more open. As a volunteer, it was awesome to observe.”
O’Neill’s JA volunteer experiences, in addition to now serving on the board of JA of Southern California, has inspired her to bring other volunteers into classrooms. She reached out to select KPMG asset management clients who have also taken the volunteer spirit back to their organizations.
“While the pandemic has restricted so many aspects of our lives, it has opened up opportunities for time-crunched professionals to give their time to others. I always look forward to volunteering.” O’Neill adds, “Whether in-person or virtual, it is the content volunteers deliver that matter to the kids, and they are our number one priority.”
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