ALAMOSA - Amanda Stagner is trying to get students at Alamosa High School ready for life.  

On May 1 she became the first business teacher and FBLA advisor to receive the Educator Highlight Award from the Adams State School of Education. When a contingent from Adams State and the Alamosa School District showed up to present her with the award, she was just launching her class into a session on the value of Roth IRAs. 

“Even more than ever, finance is so important,” Stagner said upon receiving the award. She said she has one rule in life that she particularly works hard to get across to students.  

“The one rule you really need to know to be financially successful: live on less than what you make. Never spend more money than what you make,” she said. 

Each month, Adams State selects an educator from a school in the Valley to recognize for their outstanding work. It’s all part of the university’s efforts to showcase public education and to inspire others to go into the teaching profession. 

Stagner brings sobering statistics into her teaching at AHS to help students understand the value of earning a paycheck and how to budget a household around it. Example: “Right now 50 percent of people are not meeting their nest egg and 7 out of 10 households live paycheck to paycheck,” she said in citing current statistics. 

She advises students to start a Roth IRA or other savings as soon as they can. And, she tells students, that while they may not want to do bookkeeping for a business, “you are a business.” 

“Your income, your expenses of your house, your car, your insurance,” are all bookkeeping skills that everyone needs to learn. 

As the school’s Future Business Leaders of America advisor, Stagner has been instrumental in preparing students for careers. She talks about former students who are now lawyers and accountants and physical therapists. 

“One of my students who placed at nationals runs a drone company in Georgia,” she said with pride. 

“My students have been amazing,” she said.  

They say the same about her. “One specific memory of Ms. Stagner is when I started looking at my options for college. She helped me with resources for scholarships as well as helping me network to find people that could help me along my journey,” said one of her students in making a nomination. 

Paying your way through college and staying debt free is key advice from the business teacher. “Being able to start the workforce and not have debt is amazing,” she said. 

This monthly award recognizes Adams State University School of Education alumni, prominent local teachers, and other educators working within or hailing from the San Luis Valley. In so doing, Adams State University hopes to build familiarity with the community as a serious destination for future educators. To nominate an educator, email Paul Clark at pclark@adams.edu.