Students at DeKalb High School are set up for successful financial, professional, and personal futures thanks in large part to business teacher Ashley Johnson. Tapping into her own rich entrepreneurial knowledge and experiences, Johnson utilizes real-life, hands-on learning strategies in her entrepreneurship, accounting, personal finance, and banking classes to ensure students are prepared to excel wherever their endeavors may lead.
Drawing from up-to-date, industry-relevant curriculum, she invites local businesses to discuss difficulties they are currently experiencing, then has students work in small groups to problem-solve and present their solutions. Spreading their knowledge further, students in Johnson’s banking and investment class harness skills in product development, résumé building, public speaking and pitching to author their own financial literacy book. Then, they pay a visit to local second graders to deliver piggy banks and read their book to expose students to financial literacy at a young age. For many of Johnson’s students, their passion for business follows them outside of the classroom: they regularly compete and place in both regional and state pitching competitions, and several have gone on to create their own profitable businesses.
Johnson is enthusiastic about designing and sharing her own CTE curriculum with fellow business educators. She leads a PLC and serves as a peer mentor, advisory board member for Believe In A Dream’s student entrepreneurship program, and member of the STARTedUP Innovation Educator Fellowship. Additionally, she has presented at the Indiana Connected Educators Conference and Indiana ACTE Conference.
Through coordinating a work-based learning program, Johnson actively involves the community in her classroom ventures. She participates in the local Chamber of Commerce’s student-led business funding initiatives, organizes class learning trips and guest speakers, and fosters mentor relationships. Annually, Johnson hosts a Student Business Fair for students to pitch and sell their own products outside of school. She is also known throughout DeKalb High as an advisor for student government, speech team, and the school’s café.
Johnson earned her Bachelor of Science in business administration from Indiana University Fort Wayne in 2010 and her Master of Business Administration with a concentration in management from Indiana Tech-Fort Wayne in 2013.
Press Release: Indiana Business Teacher Ashley Johnson Earns Financial Prize of Her Very Own: a $25,000 Milken Educator Award
