Indiana Business Teacher Ashley Johnson Earns Financial Prize of Her Very Own: a $25,000 Milken Educator Award
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DeKalb High School's Ashley Johnson makes history in Waterloo as first-ever Milken Educator Award recipient in DeKalb County Central United School District
Santa Monica, Calif. — Friday the 13th became extraordinarily lucky for DeKalb High School business teacher Ashley Johnson! Milken Educator Awards Senior Vice President Dr. Jane Foley and Indiana Department of Education Assistant Secretary Dr. Rebecca Estes surprised Johnson at a schoolwide assembly today with the prestigious Milken Educator Award in front of cheering students, colleagues, dignitaries and media.
Taking pride in spreading financial literacy to students in her entrepreneurship, accounting, personal finance, and banking classes, Johnson was delighted to receive a financial prize of her own: The Award's unrestricted $25,000 cash prize. Along with the national honor, Johnson made local history as the first-ever Milken Educator Award recipient in DeKalb County Central United School District.
"The business, entrepreneurship and finance lessons Ashley Johnson imparts on her students are invaluable," said Dr. Foley, who is a 1994 Indiana Milken Educator herself. "By infusing real-life experiences and problem-solving into her classroom, she is preparing her students for success far beyond the classroom. She is building skillsets to last a lifetime, in any endeavors students choose to pursue. Ashley, the Milken Educator Network will benefit greatly from the unique educational experiences and leadership you bring. Congratulations!"
Johnson will join a national network of over 3,000 Milken Educators spanning the Awards’ nearly 40-year history as the nation's preeminent teacher-recognition program. Hailed as the "Oscars of Teaching," the Milken Educator Awards inspire educators, students and entire communities to "Celebrate, Elevate and Activate" the K-12 teaching profession and encourage young, capable people to pursue teaching as a career. More than $75 million in individual financial prizes and more than $145 million have been invested in the Milken Educator Award national network overall.
Outstanding educators like Johnson are not aware of their candidacy for the Award. Recipients are sought out while early- to mid-career for what they have achieved — and for the promise of what they will accomplish given the resources and opportunities afforded by the Award.
Johnson is the second and final Milken Educator to receive the honor in Indiana for the 2024-25 school year and the 71st recipient in The Hoosier State. Katie Lanter of South Ripley Junior High School in the South Ripley Community School Corporation was recognized with the Award yesterday, Dec. 12.
More About Ashley Johnson
Spreading Financial Literacy: Students at DeKalb High School are set up for successful financial, professional, and personal futures thanks in large part to business teacher Ashley Johnson. Tapping into her own rich entrepreneurial knowledge and experiences, Johnson utilizes real-life, hands-on learning strategies in her entrepreneurship, accounting, personal finance, and banking classes to ensure students are prepared to excel wherever their endeavors may lead. Drawing from up-to-date, industry-relevant curriculum, she invites local businesses to discuss difficulties they are currently experiencing, then has students work in small groups to problem-solve and present their solutions. Spreading their knowledge further, students in Johnson's banking and investment class harness skills in product development, résumé building, public speaking and pitching to author their own financial literacy book. Then, they pay a visit to local second graders to deliver piggy banks and read their book to expose students to financial literacy at a young age. For many of Johnson's students, their passion for business follows them outside of the classroom: they regularly compete and place in both regional and state pitching competitions, and several have gone on to create their own profitable businesses.
Sharing Her Skillset: Johnson is enthusiastic about designing and sharing her own CTE curriculum with fellow business educators. She leads a PLC and serves as a peer mentor, advisory board member for Believe In A Dream's student entrepreneurship program, and member of the STARTedUP Innovation Educator Fellowship. Additionally, she has presented at the Indiana Connected Educators Conference and Indiana ACTE Conference.
Connecting the Community: Through coordinating a work-based learning program, Johnson actively involves the community in her classroom ventures. She participates in the local Chamber of Commerce's student-led business funding initiatives, organizes class learning trips and guest speakers, and fosters mentor relationships. Annually, Johnson hosts a Student Business Fair for students to pitch and sell their own products outside of school. She is also known throughout DeKalb High as an advisor for student government, speech team, and the school's café.
Education: Johnson earned her Bachelor of Science in business administration from Indiana University Fort Wayne in 2010 and her Master of Business Administration with a concentration in management from Indiana Tech-Fort Wayne in 2013.
The Milken Educator Award Reaps Lifelong Benefits
The $25,000 cash Award is unrestricted. Recipients have used the money in diverse ways. Some recipients have spent the funds on their children's or their own continuing education, financing dream field trips, establishing scholarships, and even adopting children.
Honorees receive powerful mentorship opportunities for expanded leadership roles that strengthen education practice and policy. Milken Friends Forever (MFF) pairs a new recipient with a veteran Milken Educator mentor; the Expanding MFF Resource and Explorer Program fosters individual veteran Milken Educator partnerships around specific topic areas; and Activating Milken Educators promotes group collaboration in and across states to bring solutions to pressing educational needs.
The honorees attend an all-expenses-paid Milken Educator Awards Forum in Los Angeles in April 2025, where they will network with their new colleagues as well as veteran Milken Educators and other education leaders about how to broaden their impact on K-12 education.
Veteran Milken Educators demonstrate a wide range of leadership roles at state, national and international levels.
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Visit MilkenEducatorAwards.org or call the Milken Family Foundation at (310) 570-4772 for more information.
About the Milken Educator Awards: "The Future Belongs to the Educated"
The first Milken Educator Awards were presented by the Milken Family Foundation in 1987. Created by philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken, the Awards provide public recognition and individual financial rewards of $25,000 to K-12 teachers, principals, and specialists from around the country who are furthering excellence in education. Recipients are heralded in early- to mid-career for what they have achieved and for the promise of what they will accomplish. The Milken Family Foundation celebrates more than 40 years of elevating education in America and around the world. Learn more at MFF.org.
