What a Field Trip to BizTown Taught Me About Leadership

I had the chance to go with my son to Junior Achievement’s BizTown last week, and I’m still thinking about it.

I was excited to see what it was all about, but I don’t think I fully understood how detailed and immersive the experience would be until I was there.

If you haven’t heard of it, BizTown is set up like a mini city where students take on real world roles for the day. Before they even arrive, they go through an application and interview process. When they get there, they step into jobs like CEOs, marketers, doctors, and everything in between.

My son was chosen as CEO of META, which felt especially fitting. I wasn’t with his group during the day, but hearing about his experience after and seeing glimpses of it while I was there was something I won’t forget.

What stood out most to me was how quickly the kids stepped into their roles.

They took it seriously.
They worked together.
They were figuring things out in real time.

They were balancing accounts, making decisions, learning how to communicate, and understanding what it means to be responsible for something beyond themselves.

It was fun to walk through the space and see it all happening. A mini city filled with kids who were fully engaged and genuinely trying.

I had conversations with students in all kinds of roles, from exterminators to doctors, and every single one of them was invested in what they were doing.

It gave me so much confidence in what the next generation is capable of.

It also made me think about leadership in a different way.

We often think of leadership as something that develops later, but this was a reminder that when you give kids the opportunity and the responsibility, they rise to it.

They don’t wait until they are older to start figuring it out. They step into it right away.

And on a more personal level, it was a reminder of how meaningful it is to be present for moments like this.

Being able to take the time to go on this field trip, to see it in person, and to watch my son experience it is something I don’t take lightly.

Those are the moments that matter just as much as the work.

I left feeling proud of him, impressed by the students, and honestly, really hopeful.

There is a lot to look forward to.