The class of 2026 will be announced on January 6
For half a decade, JA’s 18 Under Eighteen, Presented by the EQT Foundation, has celebrated the boldest young leaders across our region – students making real impact in their schools, neighborhoods, and communities.
Real Leaders. Real Impact. Real Change.
Our nomination period is closed. The class of 2026 will be announced on January 6.
Class of 2025
Date: February 3, 2026 | Time: 5:30 pm
Join us at Acrisure Stadium where we will honor the extraordinary young leaders who are shaping our future—Stay tuned and be sure to mark your calendar to be part of the celebration!
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!
Presenting Partner
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Frequently Asked Questions
To become a recipient of JA’s 18 Under Eighteen Presented by the EQT Foundation Awards, you must be nominated or self-nominated and then selected as a recipient.
To celebrate our 5th anniversary, we are introducing the opportunity for teams of two individuals to be nominated and recognized together. These teams must have collaborated on the same project, initiative, business, or advocacy effort.
At the foundation of this program, we are honoring 18 individuals.
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!
Teams can be nominated as part of a team and individually:
You may submit:
If one of the nominees is determined to be a stronger candidate individually, they may be invited to interview alone rather than as part of the team.
The 18 honorees will receive:
When reviewing team nominations, judges will consider:
To advance to the interview stage, both individuals must demonstrate balanced impact and contributions. Our goal is to honor teams composed of two equally strong individuals who have made meaningful contributions to their community or initiative—even if their roles were different.
Nominations are open to anyone 18 years or younger (during the 2025-26 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 September 30, 2025 at 11:59PM.
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 September 30, 2025, at 11:59PM.
After submission, applications will no longer be open for edits.
All nominations for JA’s 18 Under Eighteen presented by the 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:
On the evenings of October 15th and 16th, 2025. 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 a JA 18 Under Eighteen Presented by the EQT Foundation 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.
Nominations and interviews are scored based on both:
All finalists will be notified of their selection status on October 23rd via email.
JA will not be announcing the 2026 honoree class to the public until January 6, 2026. 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 6, 2026.
Honorees (individual and teams) will be required to attend a one-hour informational session on November 14, 2025.
Honorees (individual and teams) will be required to attend an in-person media day for headshots and video content on November 16, 2025.
In the weeks leading up to the recognition event, the honorees (individual and teams) 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:
Honorees (individual and teams) will also be required to attend JA’s 18 Under Eighteen Presented by the EQT Foundation reception event scheduled for February 6, 2026.
A signed media release form from a parent or guardian as well as in-person attendance is required by all honorees.
For teams, both honorees will be required to attend.
Media day will be held on November 16, 2025 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@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.
For questions about the nomination, interview, or honoree process, please contact:
Kelsie Hutsko, Hospitality and Events Manager
📧 khutsko@jawesternpa.org | 📞 412-218-0854
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.
