State Treasurer Curtis Loftis Recognizes Hillcrest High’s Ashley Causey as Educator of the Month
South Carolina Treasurer Curtis Loftis has recognized Hillcrest High School’s Ashley Causey as the South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program’s Educator of the Month for February.
“Financial literacy is an essential tool for economic success, and making sure our high school students understand the importance of money management before graduation is vital to their future pursuits,” Treasurer Loftis said. “As our financial system grows more complex, we are grateful for instructors like Ms. Causey who are teaching students how to make sound financial decisions at a young age.”
Causey holds an undergraduate degree and master’s degree from Furman University as well as an EdD from North Greenville University. A 27-year veteran of Greenville County Schools, Causey has taught at Berea Middle School and Hillcrest High School. She currently teaches ninth grade Freshman Success and Human Geography at Hillcrest.
“Financial literacy is a necessity as students graduate from high school, attend college, and secure a job in their dream career,” said Causey. “Without knowledge of concepts like credit approval, credit scores, debt repayment, securing loans, paying loans back, and using a bank account and credit card successfully, students will be forced to learn about these topics the hard way. Knowledge of finance enables everyone to be more successful and more in tune with their earnings.”
The South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program provides incentives to K-12 teachers who are experts in the area of financial literacy and have a desire to teach professional development workshops to other educators in their schools and districts. Through the program, participating teachers have access to specialized training and financial literacy curriculum resources that better enable them to promote financial literacy education in K-12 schools.
Sponsored by Future Scholar, South Carolina’s 529 College Savings Plan, and in partnership with SC Economics, this statewide financial literacy initiative aims to increase teacher support and involvement in incorporating personal finance education into the curriculum.