Valerie Jackson has been teaching for more than 40 years with all but one being at Beaufort High School in Beaufort, South Carolina—her alma mater. This past school year was the first time in her career she taught a Personal Finance course and she dove right in. She earned the title of Valedictorian of the 2024–2025 NGPF Academy with a total of 211 PD hours. Wow! Learn more about Valerie and what drives her commitment to her students and continuous learning.

What makes you passionate about personal finance education?

Personal finance education is important in all of our lives. We need to know about the areas of personal finance and how we are impacted by our financial choices. We need to know how to make decisions that are in our best interest. This is important to all of us, but especially important to young people who are just getting started. Not everyone learns this at home.

When I learned that South Carolina had added personal finance as a graduation requirement, I was excited. I saw the potential for helping all of our students. Then, when I was asked to attend a training, I was hooked. I learned and wanted to learn more, to be better prepared to work with my students.

I started taking advantage of NGPF professional development opportunities and have not stopped, I enjoy learning and hope to help my students learn and grow in financial management.

What is one of your earliest money memories?

I remember shopping with my Mom. We would go to stores and she would have me calculating sale prices in my head, without a calculator or pencil and paper. Whatever the percentage off, I figured it out. Many times, shopkeepers were surprised at my ability to accurately calculate sale prices. It made me think about prices and the value of products.

As a young parent, I remember telling my daughter that I would buy whatever the item was that she wanted, when I found it at my price. Most of the time I did find it at “my price” and that is when she got it (whatever it was).

Describe your school and teaching career

I have been teaching for over 40 years. All but my first year have been at Beaufort High School in the historic City of Beaufort, South Carolina. I am also a graduate of Beaufort High School. 

BHS is located on Lady’s Island, one of the 68 inhabitable islands that make up the county and our attendance zone includes islands bordering the Atlantic Ocean. There are approximately 12,000 students in grades 9-12.

BHS is a comprehensive high school and offers college prep, Advanced Placement, and dual enrollment opportunities to our students. BHS is a MedTech7 and Project Lead the Way school that helps to prepare students for careers in the health and STEM fields.

I taught personal finance one semester during the 2024-2025 school year. I have taught numerous social studies courses including United States Government, Economics, United States History, World History, World Geography, Current Events, Law Education and Criminal Justice 101. I have also taught Adult Education courses and the college courses parttime.

You recently attended an NGPF FinCamp—what did you think of the experience and would you recommend other teachers go?

The South Carolina NGPF FinCamp experience was one of the best professional development activities that I have participated in. It was a day full of learning and activities that were never boring.

It was a great way to meet other teachers and to learn from them. I would definitely recommend that other teachers attend an NGPF FinCamp.

What are your favorite topics to teach? And activities to use?

Careers is my favorite topic since students are task with making decisions that impact their futures and their lives. It is imperative that they are aware of the possibilities that are available to them and the fact that they are in charge of their own destinies.

Students have the opportunity to look at employment trends, write resumes and cover letters, prepare for interviews, and look at the various types of jobs/careers and think and research. The activities included in the Career Unit are useful and interesting to the students. 

Can you provide an example of how a lesson taught in class helped a student and/or someone in their family make a better money decision?

Resume writing was one of the activities that helped students in quest for employment during the school year. They were able to present a picture of themselves on paper and to be able to present themselves in interviews and to get a job.

One student said that he got offered a job when he was the only interviewee to show up in a tie. The job enabled him to help his family pay part of his car insurance. This gave him access to transportation, which then allowed him to accept the offer and get work experience. This money decision helped to prepare him for a real-world financial endeavor. 

How has being part of the NGPF network helped you personally? Professionally?

I love to learn and thus the NGPF network has helped me to learn and to grow personally and professionally.

I have taken advantage of most opportunities including all of the On-Demand modules, the NGPF FinLit Month Virtual Conference in April, 10 of the 11 Certification Courses (I’m about to take the Advanced Investing Certification Exam), and numerous Virtual PDs.

I have already earned 211 credits since July 1, 2024.  I am better prepared to work with my students and I look forward to more professional development through NGPF!

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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