Colleen Martin earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Special Education from the University of Hartford and a Sixth Year Certificate in Assistive Technology from Southern Connecticut State University. She has been teaching Special Education for 18 years. Working closely with her business department chairperson, Sheree Pasini, their goal is to make a financial literacy course a graduation requirement.

Doug Andersen, Billings Senior High School, Billings, MT

Doug Andersen has been teaching in the beautiful big sky country of Montana for the past eight years. For most of his tenure, personal finance has been by far his favorite subject to teach. He also teaches Intro to Business, Intro to Marketing, Computer Applications 1 & 2, and Adobe Productions. Doug has an amazing wife and four beautiful daughters, along with his small male dog to keep things balanced!

Jill Lucero, East High School, Cheyenne, WY

Jill Lucero has been teaching for 24 years at East High School in Cheyenne, WY.  She has been teaching a financial literacy course for the last 20 years and loves it!   Jill really enjoys teaching a practical class and watching her students figure out the importance of all financial literacy topics.  She is an open book with her students regarding her finances and tries to give real life examples.

Jimmy Cappels, Carlmont High School, Belmont, CA

Jimmy Cappels is in his first year teaching personal finance, but has been teaching math for the past 4 years in public, private, and Montessori schools. Jimmy has just one class of personal finance, but thinks the lessons are important enough that every student should be required to take at least one semester before heading out into the real world.

 Julie Giglia, Whitman-Hanson Regional High School, Whitman, MA

Julie Giglia has been a Business/Technology teacher at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School for 13 years. In April, she was awarded the 2016 Massachusetts Business Teacher of the Year. In February of 2015, Julie was named Visa Practical Money Skills Innovative Educator for the Month of February.  Julie has written and won two grants to support 3D printer technology for her high school.

Laurie Gardner, Marine City High School, Marine City, MI

Laurie Gardner teaches Business Education and Financial Management.  This is her ninth year of teaching and she considers this school her home because she’s an MCHS graduate. Each year gets better because Laurie enjoys collaborating with colleagues, bringing fresh new ideas into the classroom that keep students engaged, and applying curriculum and lessons to the real world.

MaryBeth Bailey, Bethel and Bryant Middle Schools, Bryant, AR

MaryBeth Bailey is a fifth year educator in the Bryant Public School District. With a background in finance and personal and auto loans, she has a passion for personal finance education. MaryBeth loves the middle school age because students are eager to learn, and have not yet learned the importance of financial literacy.

Michael Brazeau, Raymond High School, Raymond, NH

Michael Carfang, Centreville High School, Clifton, VA

Michael Carfang enjoys working with children and helping them reach for their dreams through their education. An education should empower a child and help him or her make a positive contribution to our world. Michael and his wife have a beautiful family consisting of one son and one 4-legged child. Michael enjoys being outdoors and coaching his high school’s football and lacrosse teams.

Nancy Bonnifield, Kimball Area High School, Kimball, MN

Nancy Bonnifield has been teaching Personal Finance for 15 years in rural central Minnesota. She gets great satisfaction from alumni sharing their stories of how what they learned in class saved them from financial mistakes.

Pete Rosinski, Pinkerton Academy 9-12, Derry, NH 

Pete Rosinski is a Business/Social Studies Teacher and the Boys’ Basketball Coach.  He has taught and coached at Pinkerton for 31 years having received a Shepard Award & School to Careers Outstanding Teacher award for his school and Southern New Hampshire in 2000.  He was also named Lawrence Eagle Tribune Boys’ Basketball Coach of the year for North Metro Boston in 2010.

Petrina Blakeslee, Cooperative Arts and Humanities Magnet High School, New Haven, CT

Petrina has taught in the public school system for 16 years.  She is passionate about teaching students relevant skills and content that align with their interests, talents, and abilities.  When she’s not busy changing the world, she is passionate about healthy eating, being fit, and spending time with her 10 year old daughter.

Sheree Pasini, Stafford High School, Stafford, CT

Sheree Pasini left the world of financial services to teach business ten years ago.  She teaches Accounting I and II, Business Administration, Money Management, Personal Finance, Sports and Entertainment Marketing, and Technology – and is also the CTE Department Chair. Sheree is very passionate about making taking a financial literacy course a graduation requirement. 

Renee Karr, Southington Local Schools, Southington, OH

Renee Karr holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Kent State University and has been a business and technology teacher for over 20 years.  She had the opportunity to attend the Ohio Jump$tart Conference this summer.   Renee’s goal as an educator is to prepare students for their future and that includes teaching them about the importance of managing their personal finances.

Sheila Miller, Newfound Regional High School, Bristol, NH

Sheila Miller has been a Business teacher for 21 years and was instrumental in making Financial Literacy a graduation requirement at her school. She lives in Bristol, NH with her husband, two children and enjoys spending time with her two grandsons.

Shelagh M. Quigley, Lake Charles-Boston Academy, Lake Charles, LA; Starks High School, Starks, LA; Vinton High School, Vinton, LA  

Shelagh M. Quigley has been teaching for almost 20 years, and moved to Louisiana from New Jersey a little over three years ago.  She is passionate about teaching young people how to handle money and understand their finances.  When not working, she enjoys sewing, cooking, and spending time with her family and animals.

Stephanie Mills, South Warren High School, Bowling Green, KY

Stephanie Mills received her Bachelors’ degree in Business and Marketing Education and Masters’ degree in Secondary Education for Teacher Leaders from Western Kentucky University.  This is her 10th year teaching.  Stephanie is a sponsor of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), and American Private Enterprise System (APES).

Talitha Oliveri, Hopedale Jr. Sr. High School, Hopedale, MA

Talitha Oliveri has been teaching for 18 years in an idyllic New England town outside Boston, Massachusetts.  After spending 15 years of her career in a high school math classroom, three years ago she made the switch to personal finance and marketing courses.  Educating students about marketing and financial literacy are two of Talitha’s passions. 

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