Stephanie Dale, named Georgia Association Career and Technology Education Teacher of the Year

Stephanie Dale, a business and computer science teacher at Warner Robins High School, said her career “kind of happened,” but she’s glad there were people around who opened doors for her.

Dale was named the Georgia Association for Career & Technical Education Teacher of the Year during the group’s summer conference last month. The award is presented annually to recognize an outstanding career, technical and agricultural education (CTAE) teacher at the secondary school level.

It wasn’t easy, Dale said. Getting started proved to be an almost-impossible task.

Dale earned a bachelor’s degree on business administration from the University of North Georgia in 2008, not exactly a good time to be job searching, she said.

“The economy had nose dived and there weren’t a lot of jobs to be had,” she said. “I had made and mailed about 100 resumes, but I was still out of work.”

Then the principal at Dooly County called and she accepted a teaching job offer, she said. She worked there for three years and earned her teacher certification through the Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy, or TAPP.

“At first I didn’t see myself as a teacher, but God had other plans and I was blessed to get my teaching feet wet in Dooly,” she said. “I’m now in my sixth year at Warner Robins and it kind of feels like home here. Teaching was the only door that opened for me, and I ran through it.”

She has taught at Warner Robins High School since 2011, and also serves as the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) adviser and Screamin’ Demon Spirit Club sponsor. Last year, she was named the Georgia Business Education Association Teacher of the Year. In 2011, she was awarded Georgia FBLA’s New Adviser of the Year Award.

As a business education teacher, she said she teaches classes that specifically focus on business and technology. She feels it is her job to assist students in making a successful transition between school and career goals. Dale said it is her responsibility to inspire her students’ passion for learning business and technology.

“We are preparing students for jobs that have not yet been created,” she said. “That is why it’s important to instill in them the basic business concepts and soft skills needed to work in the ever-changing job market.”

As the FBLA adviser, Dale helps students take what they have learned in the classroom and apply it in real-life business scenarios through FBLA’s competitive events program.

“The main mission of FBLA is to bring business and education together in a positive working relationship through innovative leadership and career development programs,” she said.

Her students have been successful in FBLA competitive events. Several have won awards at the state level and went on to compete at the national FBLA convention this summer: Travis Arnold, in securities and investments; Harrison Jones, management information systems; Nicholas Loudermilk, Web site design and client service; and Natalie Smith, job interview. Loudermilk was also elected to serve as Georgia FBLA Membership vice president for the 2016-17 school term.

Next up for Dale is the regional competition and, should she prevail, the national competition next year.

When she’s not teaching or competing, Dale focuses a lot of her attention on cheering on The Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama and her favorite baseball team, the Atlanta Braves.

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