Never Too Busy to Learn
At first, Prissya Sivanish wasn’t sure she had time for JA. As a busy 12-year-old already balancing school and other commitments, joining a long-term entrepreneurship program felt like too much. “My schedule was packed with a lot of things that year,” she explained. Her teacher encouraged her to consider it, and she hesitated, but her curiosity won out when she saw what her friends were doing. “I decided, ‘OK, I’ll take this opportunity and join.’”
From the moment she stepped into the program, the experience exceeded even her high expectations. “My expectations were very high, and it did really impress me when I joined the program,” she said. The friendly, supportive environment made an immediate impact. She remembers walking into her first sessions unsure of what to expect, only to be met with kindness. “When I first joined, the teachers were so friendly.”
Hands-on learning became one of her favorite aspects of JA, because she got to try things like 3D printing. “We get to learn sensory skills. And when we paint, we always get our hands dirty,” she laughed. As managing director of her JA student company, Prissya helped lead the development of two kinds of keychains and their flagship product, a history-themed board game. She took on the responsibility of designing the board game template, checking every detail. “I did the template for the board game. I asked all my friends, ‘Is this template OK?’” Their feedback helped her refine the design until it was ready for printing, and the process taught her how collaborative real entrepreneurship can be. “I got to connect with more people,” she shared, proud of how she balanced teamwork, leadership, and her schoolwork. Her leadership skills grew the most, she said, because she discovered what it meant to manage a team, motivate peers, and share responsibility. When someone hesitated to complete their assigned task, she learned to be direct about accountability. “If you don’t want to do the work, you’re not going to get your salary at the end of the year,” she would remind them. “You get what you earn by what you do.” Most of the time, though, her peers were enthusiastic and eager to contribute. “Everyone wants to be part of it,” she said, noting that she only faced resistance one or two times.
JA opened her eyes to the realities of running a business, including financial concepts, production processes, and the hard work required to meet expectations. “Because of JA, I learned how to handle business. I learned leadership. I learned to be hardworking.” She also learned how to prioritize and manage her time. “Every day after school, I would work on the template and also juggle all my homework.”
Looking back, Prissya is grateful she didn’t let a busy schedule keep her from joining. What began as a hesitant maybe became a transformative experience that taught her leadership, strengthened her confidence, and gave her a clear sense of the innovative, entrepreneurial path she may one day take.