Jennifer Balkey, a retired educator from Rockbridge County High School, recently received the prestigious W!se Gold Star Teacher Award for 2024, according to Mountain Gateway Community College.
Balkey, who taught dual enrollment finance courses for MGCC at Rockbridge County High School, was recognized for her excellence in financial literacy education and her commitment to preparing students for the National W!se exam.
Her students have earned the W!se Gold Star distinction for four consecutive years (20202024), a rare accomplishment. The Gold Star Award is given to educators whose students demonstrate outstanding performance on the National W!se exam, which covers essential topics in personal finance.
Balkey’s course requires students to pass the National W!se Financial Literacy test, which serves as their final exam. The test covers four important areas: money management, banking, credit and insurance & investing.
Schools with Gold Star Teacher status are considered Blue Star Schools, a designation given to schools where a significant portion of students demonstrate financial literacy proficiency by achieving high passing rates on the W!se Certification Test.
Her role as a dual enrollment instructor allowed high school students to earn college credit for the finance course, which is an integral part of Mountain Gateway’s Dual Enrollment program.
For more information about dual enrollment at high schools in MGCC’s service region, contact dual enrollment coordinator Ann Courtney at acourtney@mgcc.edu.
