A Finleyville girl has been chosen for Junior Achievement of Western PA’s 18 Under Eighteen honoree class.

JA 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. It features programs delivered by corporate and community volunteers. Last year, the organization recognized its inaugural class, which represented a diverse cross-section of the region and had varied backgrounds, each eager to make a difference.

Kimberly Sterling, communications and marketing manager for Junior Achievement of Western PA and a Monongahela native, hoped someone from the Valley would be nominated for this round. Bentworth’s Mallory Schreiber, an 18-year-old student with a passion for STEM and a mission to help others find their pathways, was selected.

After connecting with the Society of Women Engineers in Pittsburgh, Mallory wanted to ensure that other girls could explore careers in STEM and took the initiative to start her own society at her school. She hopes to introduce middle school girls to the club by providing them with a space to explore those opportunities early on.

Mallory also helped initiate a virtual event for girls in her high school to meet with professionals from all areas of the workforce by working with Dress for Success Pittsburgh. The event helped Mallory connect with Range Resources and accept an engineering internship.

In fall 2022, Mallory was a featured speaker at another Dress for Success event, providing testimonials about her engineering internship and encouraging students to seek out professional opportunities while in high school.

She balances her school life with her drive for volunteerism as an active leader as vice president of her school’s Leo club. Her involvement inspired her to seek out additional ways to give back to her community, such as volunteering for a local hospice organization each week, initiating a police appreciation service project and more.

Mallory continues to challenge her abilities and is currently maintaining a spot in Equitrans Midstream’s highly competitive ASPIRE Program, where she receives professional mentorship, attends company events and is actively working on a senior presentation. “These outstanding kids represent both the best of the next generation and the good that exists in the world,” said Patrice Matamoros, president of Junior Achievement of Western PA. “Not only are they building their own impressive resumes with their entrepreneurial spirit, servant nature and maverick mentality, but their actions will have positive impacts on our communities, nation and world for years to come.”

The class of 2023 features advocates, entrepreneurs, musicians, engineers, and changemakers ranging from ages 10 to 18. The honorees represent a diverse cross section of the region, including areas in Allegheny, Beaver, Cambria and Washington counties.

The talent search was cast across the organization’s footprint in western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia. A diverse committee of community members reviewed each nomination and interviewed finalists to become the select 18.

In addition to being honored at the recognition event, the 18 students are virtually attending the Intern to VP Professional Branding and Leadership Development Training Program presented by Moments of Focus LLC. The honorees are learning the importance of personal branding, cross-divisional networking and professional development.

The 18 honorees will be featured on local Lamar Advertising billboards around Pittsburgh and surrounding areas prior to the event.

The new class will be honored at a recognition ceremony Feb. 7 at the UPMC Club at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. Tickets to the event are on sale, with a limited number of in-person tickets available. JA will announce a virtual ticket option via its website.

To learn more about the honorees or to support the event, visit westernpa.ja.org