Meet The Advisors and the Board

Dan Steger is a member of the Prior Lake - Savage Optimist Club, a community service club that raises money and supports youth in the local community, and in that capacity he has advised the Junior Optimists for five years. Recently retired, he has ample time for his passion. "I've done a number of volunteer gigs over the years but advising JOC is hands-down my favorite," he says. "I am astonished literally every day by the passion these kids bring forward. Being part of this is a dream come true for me."

He's lived in Prior Lake with his wife Andrea for 30 years. They have two adult kids, both of whom are marrying in the summer of 2023. He enjoys bicycling, Nordic skiing, writing and traveling with Andrea in their little RV. In addition to advising JOC he's a volunteer coach of the Nordic ski team and has recently applied for licensing to substitute teach in the high school.

As a member of the Prior Lake Savage Optimist Club, Maria began her role as an advisor for the Prior Lake High School Junior Optimist Club in the fall of 2017. During that time some of her favorite events have included Love in A Glove Box, Ronald McDonald House and Sleep In Heavenly Peace. As an alumni of PLHS and a parent in the community she is pleased the high school offers multiple opportunities for the students to get involved in the community.
 

In addition to her work with the Optimist Club, she is the local chair of the Patriots Pen and Voice of Democracy essay contests. 
 

The majority of Maria’s time is spent working for Speiker & Company, Ltd as an Enrolled Agent where she advises clients on tax matters. Currently, she is the President of the MN Society of Enrolled Agents. When not at work she likes reading, outdoor jogging, and, of course, spending time with family.

Ryan is a senior at Prior Lake High School and will serve as the club’s President for the upcoming school year. He has been very active in JOC, volunteering for many projects since he joined. He served as treasurer last year, helping manage a budget, fundraise money, and reimburse members for their projects. This is his third year in Junior Optimist Club. He is excited to work with club advisors, Dan and Maria, the adult Optimist Club, and the rest of the board to make this year even better than years past. 
 
Outside of JOC, he serves as Secretary of an organization that raises funds to assist children fighting cancer. He is president of the Investing Club, executive board of Link Crew, and in NHS. In his free time, Ryan works part-time at his family’s small businesses. Apart from school, he loves watching sports such as basketball and enjoys traveling.

This year Maren is the VP for JOC. The VPs job mainly consists of planning activities for meetings and assisting the president with whatever they need.

Maren is also involved in Student Council, NHS, and Unified Club. Outside of school, she plays hockey and tennis and works at Starbucks. Maren is really excited for this upcoming year in JOC!

Mia is a junior at Prior Lake high school. She joined Junior Optimist Club her sophomore year and serves as the current secretary. She helps keep the club organized by accurately recording hours for each member and regularly updating the roster. She plans to grow the club’s impact and maintain the success of the previous years of JOC by fulfilling her secretary duties. She has enjoyed meeting new people through JOC and helping out the community through volunteering work.

She is also part of other clubs at school, such as Speech and Debate Club, National Honors Society, and STEM club. Outside of school, she plays tennis, loves spending time with family and friends, and enjoys making arts and crafts as well.

She is excited to meet new people and can’t wait to see what the club accomplishes this upcoming year!

Sanju is a Senior at Prior Lake High School and will be serving as the Public Relations and Communications Manager this following year. She has been apart of JOC since her sophomore year participating in many events, such as the Bake Sales and FMSC. Sanju previously was the Photo Historian for the past two years where she would connect with the previous PR/Communications Manager to post pictures on social media of events JOC participates in. She hopes to continue the growth of JOC this coming year and years to follow.

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Outside of JOC, she is in NHS, Computer Science Club, STEM Club, and part of the tennis team and the speech team. She loves to travel and spend time with her family and friends.

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She's excited for this coming year to bring a greater impact on JOC and her community! 

Eshaan is a junior at prior lake high school. He has been apart of junior optimist club for over a year and has contributed over 100 hours of service. In school, Eshaan is the vice president and a cofounder of the investing club.

Outside of school, Eshaan works at Tokyo sushi and grill, hangs out with friends, and loves to play music.

This year Ava is the Outreach officer for JOC. Her job primarily has her taking over the instagram and facebook pages, which will help grow our club through social media.

Outside of school, she is a competitive dancer and loves reading and writing, along with singing inside and outside of school. She is looking forward to this leadership position and cannot wait for this upcoming year in JOC!