Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas Teens Win the 2012 FedEx Access Award

Student entrepreneurs demonstrate the powerful impact of free trade to create jobs, drive economic growth and improve society

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Junior Achievement USA

Aug 07, 2012, 08:36 ET

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Aug. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- At the 2012 U.S. Junior Achievement Company of the Year competition held last week in Washington, D.C., student-run company Undefined won the annual FedEx Access Award. The students, who represented Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas, produced and successfully sold T-shirts, hand decorated fans, hand-made Chinese knot ornaments, friendship bracelets and a hand-made jewelry holder. Their company, as evaluated by a special FedEx jury, presented the best business plan with the potential to create jobs, grow small business, expand global development and improve the environment.

"New kinds of global, digital connections are driving our economy and these same connections are saving and creating jobs," says Mike Ducker, COO and president, International FedEx Express. "In preparing for the competition these students studied international trade issues and successfully identified strategies for trading in a dynamic global environment. Through Undefined, we can all see how their business ideas create opportunities around the world. It's easier and easier for people like these young entrepreneurs to successfully enter the global marketplace with a winning model. I congratulate them on their smart business strategy."

The competition is part of Junior Achievement's annual celebration of the accomplishments of JA Company Program^® students, ages 15-19, from across the United States. During participation in JA Company Program, students start and run their own businesses with support from volunteers from their local business community. They develop and market a product or service with the goal of realizing a profit for their shareholders. JA Company Program currently impacts more than 400,000 students a year globally.

"We are very honored and very excited to be going home with this award," said Jessica Wu, President of Undefined. "It is so amazing. We really appreciate being rewarded for all the hard work we put into developing our company and our products. Thank you to FedEx and Junior Achievement for presenting this award to Undefined."

To be eligible for the FedEx Access Award, a student company must be one of the finalists selected to compete at the U.S. JA Student Company of the Year Competition. Company members completed additional sessions on the concept and impact of global access, a program developed by FedEx to supplement the JA Company Program. The JA student company that best demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of global access takes top honors.

About Junior Achievement (JA)
Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches four million students per year in more than 120 markets across the United States, with an additional 6.5 million students served by operations in 117 other countries worldwide. Visit www.ja.org for more information.

About the Access Award
In conjunction with the JA Global Student Company of the Year competition, students compete for the FedEx Global Access Award. To be eligible for the FedEx Access Award, a student company must be one of the finalists selected to compete at the North American JA Student Company of the Year Competition. Student company members must complete a seminar conducted by FedEx on the idea and impact of global access. The FedEx Access Award is given to the JA student company which best demonstrates their understanding and application of global access, leveraging international trade to create jobs, grow small businesses, expand global development and improve the environment. To read about Access, FedEx and Junior Achievement in a World Economic Forum report click here.

About FedEx Corp.
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $43 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 300,000 team members to remain "absolutely, positively" focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. For more information, visit news.fedex.com.

SOURCE Junior Achievement USA