Reverse JA in a Day 2022

In October 2022, Southside Bank hosted the “Reverse JA in a Day” event with the Junior Achievement of the Greater Tyler Area organization. Twenty-four teacher-selected juniors and seniors from Tyler ISD attended the event and were able to learn more about Southside and working in the finance industry.

Over 16 Southside employees served as teachers, volunteers, and panel members for the event and gave students an inside look at what it was like to work at Southside. During the event, students were given a tour of a full-service branch and Southside Bank’s headquarters, which included stops in each department in the Annex and Operations building as well as a visit to the executive suite and boardroom.

Additionally, they participated in a roundtable discussion and heard from a panel of Southside employees, featuring three Southside executives and one Bank Board Director. The panel shared their experiences with networking, continuing education, leadership characteristics, and their personal career journeys with the students.

Students also attended four Career Success sessions that discussed essential workplace knowledge, including Communication & Conflict Management Skills, Strong Soft Skills, Know Your Work Priorities, and Know Your Personal Brand. They learned the importance of a strong work ethic, job readiness, and professionalism in and out of the workplace.

To commemorate the event, each student was offered a professional headshot, provided by the Bank, as well as swag bags that included a drawstring bag, a Southside Bank t-shirt, a pen, a piggy bank, and a squeezable stress coin.

At the end of the day, many students expressed interest in a career in banking and learning more about Southside Bank.

Several Southside employees also enjoyed the event. “Southside Bank is proud to be involved with Junior Achievement to help make an impact in the lives of young people and plant seeds of success for tomorrow,” shared Brooke Mott, Senior Vice President and Fair & Responsible Banking Officer for Southside Bank, who also served as the chair of the event.

“It was an honor for Southside to host students from area high schools in conjunction with Junior Achievement,” said Jared Green, Regional President of Southside’s East Texas Region. “I applaud these students for taking initiative to further their educational and professional careers though programs such as Junior Achievement.”