SALT LAKE CITY – June 16, 2025 – Five outstanding educators and one community leader will be inducted into the Utah Financial Education Hall of Fame this evening during a banquet at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, honoring their lasting impact on Utah students’ financial futures.
Utah has long led the nation in personal finance instruction. In 2003, the Legislature passed the nation’s first bill requiring high school students to complete a stand-alone financial literacy course. The Class of 2008 was the first to graduate under that mandate.
Two decades later, teachers, administrators, and community partners continue to strengthen and improve financial education in Utah schools, preparing students with the knowledge and skills to budget, invest, and manage credit with confidence. The Financial Education Hall of Fame, established in 2024 by the Utah Office of State Treasurer, Utah Jump$tart Coalition, and the Utah State Board of Education, spotlights leaders whose work transforms that standard into life-changing skills.
“Quality financial education doesn’t happen by accident,” Utah Treasurer Marlo Oaks said. “It takes educators who turn state standards into memorable, hands-on experiences and administrators and partners who support them. The 2025 inductees set that gold standard, and their influence will echo through Utah households for years.”
Evaluators reviewed dozens of nominations this spring, weighing measurable student outcomes, innovative practice, and long-term commitment to financial literacy.
“When students create a budget, research stock options, or teach a younger sibling what they learned in class, finance moves from theory to everyday life,” Utah Jump$tart Executive Director Shauna Barfuss said. “The 2025 inductees show why those practical skills belong in every Utah classroom and why strong community partners matter just as much.”
Tonight’s banquet begins at 6 p.m. in the Ashton Gardens Visitors Center. Due to capacity limitations, other guests may attend by invitation only. Utah Jump$tart Coalition’s $tart $mart Teacher Summit, which provides training and resources for personal finance educators, will be held at the same location tomorrow from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
2025 Hall of Fame Inductees
Personal Finance Educator of the Year – Paula Tucker, Mountain High School
Paula Tucker transforms an alternative-school setting into a launchpad for at-risk teens. Through hands-on, real-world learning and personal coaching, her students routinely pass state exams and graduate on time, many against steep odds.
Lifetime Achievement Award – Shad McCord, Northridge High School
As a financial literacy teacher for 14 years with 120 students each year, Shad McCord is known for helping every student—from honors students to those living out of a car—see personal finance as a pathway to stability. His classes have finished in the top three of the Utah Treasurer’s Investment Challenge 23 times, including 16 first-place wins
Student Empowerment Award – Jennifer Clark, Morgan High School
Before Jennifer Clark’s tenure, Morgan High’s financial literacy course suffered from low rigor and dwindling engagement, with many students choosing the online option instead. Since taking over, she has revitalized the program, raising academic standards, reenergizing student interest, and forging a partnership with Weber State University for real-world learning opportunities, making it one of the school’s most engaging and impactful offerings.
Innovative Personal Finance Curriculum Award – Michelle Butler, Freedom Preparatory Academy
Shaped by a childhood memory of her mom selling furniture to keep the lights on, Michelle Butler turned financial literacy into a mission to give students the transformative knowledge that redirected her own life. She delivers engaging, tech-forward lessons, leveraging AI to decode credit-card fine print and an AI-powered chatbot to guide car-buying decisions, so students understand that money mastery means control, opportunity, and the freedom to shape their own futures.
Financial Education Champion – Cole Kelley, Utah State Board of Education & American Fork High School
With 28 years in the classroom, Cole Kelley’s influence is felt statewide. He co-authored Utah’s data-driven Financial Literacy Program Review, mentors financial literacy teachers, and serves on the Utah State Board of Education. Drawing on his experience as a financial planner and sports-camp entrepreneur, he turns real-world business insights into engaging lessons and shows students the importance of personal finance through short, practical videos on the social platforms they use.
Community Advocate – Kaplan Sanders, Utah Tech University
Kaplan Sanders has expanded financial education throughout Washington County by developing innovative programs, training high-school instructors, and fostering community partnerships. At Utah Tech, he has created campus-based workshops that bring local high school students together with finance instructors and senior students, leads financial coaching sessions for first-year and first-generation college students, and collaborates closely with nonprofits to provide essential financial skills to underserved groups, all while teaching finance courses as a dedicated professor.
Media Contacts:
Brittany Griffin, Utah Office of State Treasurer (801) 918-1411 | [email protected]
Shauna Barfuss, Utah Jump$tart Coalition (435) 757-3450 | [email protected]
###