JA – Cox Charities group shot: Cox SVP/Region Manager Ingo Hentschel (first row, second from left) joined the Cox Charities advisory board to present a surprise $100,000 check to Junior Achievement of San Diego County. JA’s President/CEO Sidd Vivek (far right) and VP of Impact Hanna Jensen (center holding check) were on hand for the surprise. Photo courtesy Cox.

Carrying festive balloons and a big check, Cox Communications employees delivered a surprise $100,000 Cox Charities Impact Grant to Junior Achievement of San Diego County for the nonprofit’s JA Fellows Program, which brings financial literacy and paid internship opportunities to local high school students. 

The grant will enable Junior Achievement to expand its JA Fellows Program, which was launched in January at Lincoln High School in Southeast San Diego.

With the $100,000 grant from Cox Charities, Junior Achievement will be able to offer the program to teens in North County and the South Bay. 

“I’m not usually speechless, but the Cox employees surprised us,” said Sidd Vivek, president, and CEO of Junior Achievement of San Diego County. “We’re proud to be the first-ever recipient of the Cox Charities Impact Grant. This will help us expand our JA Fellows Program to even more students in low- to moderate-income communities where there are already inequities when it comes to financial literacy and access to career pathways.”          

The JA Fellows Program connects high school students in 11th and 12th grade to San Diego’s business community through a two-semester leadership experience. The program provides students with the foundational knowledge of the local economy, personal finances, career pathways, and workforce development.

The JA Fellows Program also works with the business and nonprofit communities to provide students with social capital through industry mentors, financial capital through stipends and paid internships, and real-world experiences by directly connecting students to San Diego’s industries. The program will soon be expanding to Chula Vista Learning Community Charter High School.

The Cox Charities Impact Grant was launched this year to support local K-12 educational programs.  

“Junior Achievement does amazing work in our community teaching young people about finances, entrepreneurship, and career pathways, which will help set them up for future success,” said Ingo Hentschel, senior vice president, and region manager for Cox Communications. “I was thrilled to join our employees to deliver the surprise $100,000 Cox Charities grant to this very deserving organization.”