PUBLISHED ON December 19, 2025
Personal Finance Class Welcomes Guest Speakers to Conclude Its First Year
This school year marked an exciting milestone at Archbishop Chapelle High School as we introduced Personal Finance as a new elective for juniors and seniors. This foundational course will officially become a required class for all juniors beginning in the 2026–2027 school year, reflecting our commitment to equipping students with real‑world financial skills that will serve them long after graduation.
Throughout the semester, students explored essential financial topics including:
• Writing checks and balancing a checkbook
• Reconciling accounts and navigating digital banking
• Sales tax, discounts, and consumer skills
• Budgeting and filing taxes
• Basics of credit, debt, and financial decision‑making
• Evaluating education return on investment
• Financial aid and college planning
• Jobs, careers, and employment essentials
• Insurance fundamentals
• Investing basics
The course is taught by Mrs. Stacy C. Woodward ’96, who partnered with Chapelle alumna Andrea Aleman Toro '09 and Edward Jones to strengthen and modernize the curriculum. Students engaged with interactive lessons through the EVERFI online platform, allowing them to apply financial concepts in practical, relevant ways.
To conclude the course, Andrea and her husband, Daniel, visited as guest speakers, sharing their professional and academic journeys while introducing students to the “Rules of the Road” and current industry trends in personal finance. They also explained the role of a financial advisor and demonstrated real‑world tools—including using AI—to explore stock analysis and the time value of money. The session wrapped up with a Q&A and a special Chick‑fil‑A lunch generously provided by the speakers.
We are thrilled to offer this important course and to prepare our students with knowledge they can begin applying in their daily lives today. At Chapelle, we remain committed to empowering our young women with the skills, confidence, and understanding they need to build a successful financial future.
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