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My dad wanted nothing more than to own his own business, be his own boss. But he had no clue how to make that dream come true. So instead, he came back from World War II and went to work in factories, resigned to punching a clock for the rest of his life. Then one day he pulled into the driveway with the back of his red Plymouth station wagon stuffed with mops, pails and a used floor buffer, and John's Janitorial Service was born. For years, he cleaned churches and offices all the while working the midnight shift at a chemical plant. That lasted until chronic illness made the work too physically difficult. But he was not done. He and a friend bought a couple of run-down laundromats near the Wayne State campus and in Detroit's Del Ray neighborhood. All that enterprise delivered was free parking for me while I was in college. It seemed every quarter that went into a machine ended up costing them 50 cents. He died young and broke, having never cracked the code of what it takes to run a successful business. I often wonder how things might have been different for him, a smart guy who went to war instead of high school, had he had more knowledge of how business worked. His experience is why I've supported Junior Achievement, an organization dedicated to teaching kids basic business and financial skills. Its ingeniously designed campus in downtown Detroit puts students into real world situations in which success or failure depends on the decisions they make. Students have to craft a household budget, making choices about purchases, credit cards and money management. Various store fronts are set up to simulate banks, utilities and even a car dealership. The kids must balance their resources against their needs and wants. "We make them adults for a day," says Jason Lee, executive director of Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan. "If you don't have anyone to warn you about the traps, you tend to fall into them." Financial illiteracy is a prime driver of poverty. The JA workshop presents the consequences of letting money and debt manage you instead of the other way around. I joined JA in high school. Our group turned plastic teddy bears into night lights. We had to buy the materials, assemble the units, develop a marketing strategy and then hit the streets to sell them. I quickly learned I was no more adept at business than my father, thus my turn to newspapers. I ended up with a box of unsold teddy bear lights. They were cute, but unsellable. Still, the things I learned about managing a budget and not letting debt become overwhelming have served me well, and I believe the life skills JA is teaching today's kids will pay dividends long into the future. Thursday, Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan is holding its annual fundraising dinner at the War Memorial in Grosse Pointe. They're honoring me along with educator Stacey Cauley, entrepreneur Deanna Neely and volunteer Brian Bartlett. To support Junior Achievement, go to its website JAmichigan.org. And I'll dig around the closet. I might have a few now-antique plastic teddy bear night lights I can let go for the right price. Sign up for the Nolan Out Loud report. This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Finley: JA gives kids skills to turn dreams into reality