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Viking Spotlight: Jamie Dunlap, GHS Business Teacher
Jamie Dunlap, a business teacher at GHS has been involved with business throughout her career but didn’t start teaching until she was in her 40s. “I used to have a cake business and an Irish dance dressmaking business and although both were ultimately successful, I got very bored and it kind of took the fun out of what I love to do,” she said. Ms. Dunlap dedication will be recognized this spring as she is a nominee for the 2024 Kane County Regional Office of Education’s Educator of the Year award in the High School Teacher category.

She started her college education as an apparel design major but graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and accounting from Columbia College in Missouri. She changed her major after an uninspiring business teacher inspired her to start thinking about teaching business herself. “To add to that, I had a French teacher in high school who was extraordinary, inspiring, and so dedicated to his students. I think of him all the time and have always been driven to be as engaging and inspiring,” she said. After earning her bachelor’s degree, she earned her master’s degree in secondary business education from Roosevelt University.

In addition to teaching business classes at GHS, she is the advisor for the DECA, Geneva’s Business, Marketing and Entrepreneurship club and the Virtual Enterprises International (VEI), which is a student-run classroom corporation that trades with others worldwide. This spring, DECA students participated in the DECA State Competition, where more than 1,300 students from across the state gathered to compete. Many of the GHS students qualified for the International Competition and placed in the Top 10 for their categories.

Honestly, I just love the kids and especially with DECA and VEI, I love seeing when kids are excited about their successes with competitions and trade shows,” she said. “I am really driven to inspire the kids, as I love business and have been involved with businesses all my life. And I love to spread that passion of business on to my students.”

She said that teaching at GHS has been a great blessing. “The district is incredibly supportive of new ideas and initiatives that support students, so I have been able to take my students to field trips, competitions and tradeshows throughout the US which has made for some exceptionally memorable times for both students and myself.... super blessed!”