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JA's 18 Under Eighteen
Presented by the EQT Foundation

Nominations Are Open: Now-October 31, 2025

18 Under Eighteen

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ABOUT     HONOREES     EVENT DETAILS     PARTNERS     MEDIA     FAQS

About 18 Under Eighteen

Junior Achievement of Western PA (JA) is proud to celebrate the 2025 18 Under Eighteen class, presented by the EQT Foundation—a group of extraordinary young leaders redefining innovation, advocacy, and entrepreneurship. Though this year’s celebration event has concluded, you can still explore their stories, follow their journeys, and see how they are shaping the future.

Nominations for the 2026 class are now open! If you know a young changemaker making an impact, submit your nomination by October 31.

Event Details

Date: February 4, 2025 | Time: 5:30 pm

Join us at Acrisure Stadium as we celebrate the inspiring achievements of JA’s 18 Under Eighteen, presented by the EQT Foundation. It’s a night to honor the extraordinary young leaders shaping our future—mark your calendar and be part of the celebration!

Partners

Partnerships for these events are critical for JA to continue providing life-changing programs to students in our community. These programs are delivered at no cost to students. You can make a difference in the lives of these students by participating in this world-class event!

Thank you to our Partners!

Presenting Partner

Billboard Partner
Supporting Partner
Supporting Partner
Contributing Partner
Supporting Partner
Contributing Partner
Class Partner
Class Partner
Class Partner
Class Partner
Class Partner
Commercial Realty Partner
Investment Partner
Local Partner
Local Partner
Local Partner
Print Partner
AV Production Partner

Check out what our event attendees had to say

Event Photos

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I become one of the 18 Under Eighteen honorees?

To become a recipient of JA’s 18 Under Eighteen Presented by EQT Foundation Awards, you must be nominated or self-nominated and then selected as a recipient.

Thank you for considering nominating yourself or someone you know.

This is an opportunity to recognize and share someone’s inspiring story and accomplishments with others – including your own.

If you’re considering nominating yourself, remember you know your story better than anyone else. This is your chance to be your biggest cheerleader!

The 18 honorees will receive:

  • Leadership training taught by White House recognized community leader, author, producer, and speaker, brand and leadership development expert, BeNeca Griffin
  • Recognition in the media and a personal billboard thanks to Lamar Advertising
  • Networking, mentoring and scholarship opportunities
  • Gifts from partners

 

Nominations are open to anyone 18 years or younger (during the 2024-25 school year) regardless of their gender, sex, race, class, religion, ethnicity, ability, language, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

Nominees must reside within one of the 56 counties that encompass JA’s coverage area in western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia.

PA: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Somerset, Tioga, Venango, Warren, Washington, and Westmoreland

WV: Barbour, Berkeley, Brooke, Doddridge, Grant, Hampshire, Hancock, Harrison, Lewis, Marion, Marshall, Mineral, Monongalia, Morgan, Ohio, Pleasants, Preston, Ritchie, Taylor, Tucker, Tyler, Upshur, Wetzel, and Wood

Nominees do not have to have participated in JA programming to be eligible.

The deadline for nominations is October 31, 2024 at noon.

The judges will evaluate each nominee in the following categories: leadership, community service,

entrepreneurial spirit, extraordinary skillsets, advocacy, and/or any talent or intangible qualities that contribute

to the nominee’s road to success.

The committee is made up of a diverse panel of judges in the corporate, non-profit, community, and

educational sectors of our region.

Yes. Whether you are the nominator or submitting a self-nomination, you can submit supporting documents. 

The deadline for nominations is October 31, 2024, at 12:00PM.

After submission, applications will no longer be open for edits.

All nominations for JA’s 18 Under Eighteen presented by EQT Foundation will be kept private.

Thirty-six finalists will be chosen from the pool of nominations. These finalists will move on to the second round in the process which consists of a virtual interview.

Finalists will be required to choose one of the following time slots for their virtual interview:

  • Time 1: 5:00 PM
  • Time 2: 5:30 PM
  • Time 3: 6:00 PM
  • Time 4: 6:30 PM
  • Time 5: 7:00 PM
  • Time 6: 7:30 PM
  • Time 7: 8:00 PM

on the evenings of November 13th and 14th, 2024. Finalists will receive an agreement that must be signed by a

parent or guardian, acknowledging that by accepting the interview, they understand they are committing to

the possibility of becoming an 18 Under Eighteen honoree and will attend all required virtual and in-person events.

Each interview will be 30 minutes and no more, barring any technical issues on video interviews.

All finalists will be notified of their selection status on November 19th via email.

JA will not be announcing the 2025 honoree class to the public until January 7, 2025. All honorees will be provided a full media kit that will include their headshots from media day, sample social media posts and copy. We ask all honorees to hold public announcements until January 7, 2025.

Honorees will be required to attend a one-hour informational session on December 6, 2024. Honorees will be required to attend an in-person media day for headshots and video content on December 8, 2024.

In the weeks leading up to the recognition event, the honorees are strongly encouraged to attend eight hours of the Intern to VP ® Professional Branding and Leadership Development Training Program presented by Moments of Focus LLC.

The date of the workshops:

  • December 13, 2024
  • January 10, 2025
  • January 17, 2025
  • January 24, 2025
  • February 7, 2025 – One-hour wrap session

Honorees will also be required to attend JA’s 18 Under Eighteen presented by EQT Foundation reception event scheduled for February 4, 2025.

A signed media release form from a parent or guardian as well as in-person attendance is required by all honorees.

Media day will be held on December 8, 2024 at JA BizTown 90 Emerson Lane, Suite 1403, Bridgeville, PA 15017.

The event will be held at Acrisure Stadium located at 100 Art Rooney Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.

All attendees: Candidates are encouraged to dress as formally as they are able to for the event. No jeans, sleeveless shirts, or anything ripped/distressed. Please contact info@www.jawesternpa.org with any concerns or questions.

Doors open at 5:30 PM. The main event will take place from 6:30-8:30 PM.

Each honoree will receive a complimentary code for (3) tickets, (1) for themselves and (2) for guests, to the in-person award reception. All attendees will still need to register for the event utilizing the complimentary code provided. Additional tickets will be available for purchase.

At the time of nominations, the nominator will be asked to best answer whether the nominee is available for in-person attendance at the event. The ability to attend the in-person event will factor into the selection of the eighteen candidates.

Parking options can be found here.

Yes. Registration for both in-person and virtual event tickets are available.

While working at #1 Cochran, the team will be running the car dealership. Employees will work together to find car deals, schedule service repairs, and sell an item during the shopping period.

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