January 15 2007
VALUE PAWN & JEWLERY: GETTING SCHOOLED : ROSA GARZA

As part of Orange County Public School's Teach-In Day, Junior Achievement of Central Florida provided more than 20 local business volunteers to Colonial High School's 9th Grade Center. Most of the students at Colonial High School's 9th Grade Center are Hispanic, and a majority of the volunteers there were local Hispanic businesspeople, including attorneys, city officials and theme park executives. All shared how they had achieved success and assured students they could do the same.

Roza Garza, above right, regional leader of Value Pawn & Jewelry, was among the volunteers. "I was always taught that hard work and a drive to succeed would overcome any obstacles in my path, a mentality I believe it is important for each child to have," says Garza, whose parents immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico. "In addition to sharing my professional life, I told the kids about my personal life and how my motivation to achieve great things has brought me to where I am today, and that the same can be true for them."