January 21, 2022- Meet JA alumna Sofia Lopez, a second-year UBC student, JABC Award winner and JABC volunteer.

Sofia was part of the JA Company Program when she was in high school at Hugh McRoberts Secondary, in Richmond, B.C. Her student company was called Tao Plants and she pitched, and won, the Director of Marketing role. As a team, they developed and sold grow-your-own basil kits, created with 100% recyclable packaging and biodegradable materials. She said, “When I started in JA, I had no business experience, but I was open-minded to learn. This allowed me to discover my passion for communications and team leadership.”

In 2020, Sofia was the recipient of JABC’s Dr. Donald Rix Inspiring Excellence Scholarship. This award recognizes a new immigrant, rural or Indigenous student who has demonstrated significant growth in business, learning, leadership, and/or entrepreneurial skills. Sofia is originally from Lima, Peru and is fluent in Spanish, English and French.

In addition to school and working as a children’s party leader (prior to the pandemic restrictions), Sofia was a JABC Student Liaison and is currently a moderator for JABC’s monthly World of Choices program.  This virtual interactive program allows students from classrooms across B.C. to meet industry leaders and discover occupations that are expected to offer the best opportunities over the next ten years. Through this opportunity, Sofia builds on her communication skills by speaking to hundreds of high school students.

She likes volunteering with JABC and adds, “The staff at JA are incredibly supportive, compassionate, and passionate to teach, and it is so refreshing to be able to experience this. The connections and networks I obtained over my three years have been so impactful that, to this day, I still keep in contact with my JA family and continue working with them. I am forever grateful for these opportunities with JABC, and I know that wherever my life leads me, I will continue to keep on supporting and promoting JA.”

What advice would he give youth? “Enjoy life and appreciate its experiences. Be open to mentorship opportunities, try new courses or programs, and apply for jobs that you may think are out of your reach. Do not be afraid to go out of your comfort zone. Sometimes things will turn out the way we want but sometimes they won’t, and in those situations we need to pick ourselves up and persevere. When we pick ourselves up, we are making an effort and commitment to lifelong learning.”

Thank you Sofia for giving back to JA!

Find out how you can join Sofia and other alumni as a member of the JA Alumni Network. Learn more

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