After 23 years teaching business courses, Theresa Miller will retire from Cary-Grove High School in Cary, Illinois—her alma mater—at the end of this school year. A self-described "NGPF addict" with a "yearning for learning," Theresa is an NGPF Distinguished Educator with more than 300 hours of professional development and three Master's degrees. Having grown up in a low-income household, she is deeply committed to equipping her students with the financial knowledge she wishes she had at their age. Read her insights as she reflects on her teaching journey.

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I am retiring at the end of this school year. I will truly miss inspiring, empowering, and nurturing high school students—the core values of our school district’s mission statement. After 23 years of teaching high school business classes, including personal finance, I’ve learned that there’s always something new to explore—whether it’s fresh teaching strategies, innovative technology, or ways to better connect with students.

Advice for Personal Finance Educators

Make It Relevant—Connect financial concepts to students' real lives. Use examples like budgeting for prom, buying a first car, or managing a part-time job paycheck. Bring in guest speakers, including former students, to share real-world experiences.

Stay Updated—Personal finance is always evolving. Stay current with trends in banking, investing, credit, and financial technology (FinTech). Engage in FREE continuous professional development through NGPF.

Encourage Hands-On Learning—Use MOVE activities and simulations, such as the investment challenge, and real-world case studies to engage students in learning.

Teach the "Why," Not Just the "How"—Help students understand the long-term impact of financial decisions. Don't just teach how to budget—show how it leads to financial security.

Connect with other personal finance educators to exchange ideas, resources and best practices.

Lead by Example—Share your own experiences with budgeting, saving, investing, and financial mistakes to make lessons more relatable. Students enjoy hearing my stories and don't often forget them. Show students financial literacy is a lifelong skill, not just a graded assignment. 

Early Money Memories Fuel My Passion for Financial Education

We didn't have money growing up. My parents were divorced in 1965, when I was 3 years old. I lived with my mom in an insect-infested apartment above a small town grocery store.

Every week, when we went to the grocery store, my mom would give me 10 cents. I could either have a pound of bologna or a small bag of candy. You probably think I chose the candy, but I didn’t. I chose the pound of bologna.

You see, each year on Halloween, I would go trick or treating with my older siblings. We would run from house to house with our pillow cases and challenge each other to get the most candy. I would then ration my candy for an entire year, so that I was able to have the pound of bologna each week and candy, too!

Growing up in a poor family, having to make choices on whether to buy food or candy was hard on me, but it taught me a good lesson. I was not going to live the rest of my life like that.

So, at the age of 12, I began working. I had a bicycle and got a newspaper route. At 15, I was a waitress in a Chinese restaurant. I have been working, sometimes multiple jobs, ever since. 

I learned at a very young age that education was going to be the key to my financial success. I now have three Master's degrees: an MBA, MS in Education, and MS in Educational Leadership.

I don’t want anyone to live like I did at a young age. I want them to have the skills necessary to make good financial choices and be successful. 

Teaching at Cary-Grove High School

Cary-Grove High School, my alma mater, is a public four-year high school with an enrollment of 1,400 students. It is located approximately 45 miles northwest of Chicago, IL.

It has been incredibly rewarding to give back to the school that provided me with the educational foundation I needed to succeed in my career and life. 

I have been teaching business courses, including Consumer Education (Personal Finance) at Cary-Grove for 23 years. I've taught it as a 9-week, standalone class for about 20 years. 

I also teach Business Law, Honors Dual Credit Marketing, Honors Dual Credit Computer Business Applications, Consumer Education, and Cooperative Education, a work program course where students are evaluated in the classroom as well as on the job.  

Finding the NGPF Community

When I first started with NGPF, I thought it was too good to be true. "This organization is offering to provide me with free curriculum materials and professional development? Really?" A colleague and I attended a FinCamp in Milwaukee, Wisconsin so we could check this out. 

Wow! We were blown away. The presenters; Jessica, Yanely, and Christian, were so good. They demonstrated how to access and implement the free online curriculum.

We did MOVE activities and had breakout room sessions. We got to talk to other NGPF teachers and share resources. The NGPF team was so helpful and made us feel appreciated. It was truly amazing!

After that day, I became an NGPF addict.

Though I am retiring from teaching, my advocacy for all students to receive a full-semester, stand-alone personal finance course before graduating high school is far from over. Thank you, NGPF, for your passion, generosity, and commitment to empowering the next generation!

Growth Through Professional Development

I love NGPF professional development because it keeps me growing as an educator. (I have a yearning for learning). 

I have participated in 313 hours of online NGPF sessions, continuously expanding my knowledge and refining my teaching strategies. I earned the NGPF Distinguished Educator Award and completed all 12 Certification Courses. 

NGPF professional development not only strengthens my skills, but also reinvigorates my passion for teaching. Most importantly, it allows me to bring updated curriculum into the classroom, ensuring my students receive the best possible education.

The NGPF network has had a profound impact on both my teaching and personal growth as an educator. Their free, high-quality curriculum has allowed me to provide my students with engaging, real-world financial literacy lessons that truly prepare them for life beyond high school.

Through NGPF, I have also connected with a nationwide community of educators who share best practices, resources, and support. This network has not only enhanced my effectiveness in the classroom but has also reinforced my passion for teaching personal finance.

My Favorite Finance Topics and Activities

1. Budgeting - PLAY: The Bean Game, CREATE: A Salary Based Budget
2. Credit - INTERACTIVE: Shady Sam, FINE PRINT: Schumer Box, CALCULATE: Impact of Credit Score on Loans
3. Investing - PROJECT: 5 Stocks on Your Birthday, PLAY: Roll with the Market, MOVE: Let’s Make a Mutual Fund
4. Insurance - INTERACTIVE: Bummer!, COMPARE: Car Insurance Comparison Shopping, FINE PRINT: Auto Insurance Declaration Page

What Past Students Say

I really enjoy keeping in touch with my former students and celebrating their successes. I have some who have become entrepreneurs and I proudly display their company t-shirts on my classroom wall to inspire current students.

Last year, I received emails from five former students who had just graduated from college. They each thanked me for helping prepare them for the real world. They also asked if I could send them the NGPF CREATE: A Salary-Based Budget assignment so they could use it to set up their real world budgets.

It is intrinsically rewarding to know that I have given them a foundation to achieve their career goals. And, 10 of my former students are now my colleagues!

Here are three of the many stories my students have shared:

I graduated from boot camp in the top 10% of my class for physical fitness, earning an additional $200 per month. Since I wasn’t expecting this money and don’t need it for daily expenses, I’ve set up an automatic deduction from my paycheck to send it directly to my financial advisor for investment. —former military student

A memorable [lesson] was our visit to the auto show during the marketing class. This excursion was an enlightening experience, allowing us to witness the marketing concepts we had studied in the classroom come to life on a grand scale. Mrs. Miller’s eagerness and excitement for us to experience such a significant event as the Chicago auto show together was truly inspiring. —Trevor, former student

By having my LinkedIn account set up and updated throughout college, I have received my first marketing job. I am now the lead marketing ambassador at my university for a new social media app called Fizz. I cannot believe how lucky I am to be a part of an uprising social media app where I not only will gain tons of experience, but is going to continue to help me during my college years and hopefully after as well. I could not think of anyone else to thank but you. —Victoria, former student

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Congratulations, Theresa, on a long teaching career that set so many students up for financial success. The NGPF team is glad to hear you will continue to advocate for this life-changing course, even in retirement. 

About the Author

Hannah Rael

As NGPF's Marketing Communications Manager, Hannah (she/her) helps spread the word about NGPF's mission to improve the financial lives of the next generation of Americans.

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