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By TYLER ELLYSON
UNK Communications
KEARNEY – Kearney High School business teacher Kaylei Becker calls her current position “perfect.”
She enjoys every aspect of her job, which allows her to build meaningful relationships with students while preparing them for life after high school.
“I’m really passionate about business education,” Becker said. “I think it’s all very applicable, so I love that I can teach them real-world skills.”
In only her third year as an educator, Becker is already recognized for her impact on the field. She was recently named the 2023 Rookie Teacher of the Year by the Nebraska State Business Education Association (NSBEA), an honor that solidifies her decision to change careers and return to the classroom.
“I feel like it really recognizes the work that I’ve done, because I’ve done a lot of work,” she said with a laugh.
NEW MANAGEMENT
A native of Cozad, Becker attended the University of Nebraska at Kearney, where she was a member of the women’s golf team, the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Collegiate, and the Beta Alpha Psi honor society.
Determined to pursue a career in accounting, she interned at UNK Athletics, focusing on the financial side, and graduated in spring 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a minor in accounting.
“I absolutely loved my time at UNK,” she said. “I had great relationships with all of my professors and had many opportunities to get involved. Once I finished it felt like home.
After graduating, Becker worked in accounting for over a year, but never felt the fulfillment she was looking for.
“I thought I would enjoy an office job, but once I got into it, it was pretty mundane,” she said.
When she began thinking about other careers, her mind immediately went back to the impact of her business teachers in high school and college.
“Seeing how much they have improved my life made me want to continue on the same path. »
With a new goal in sight, Becker signed up for UNK Transitional Certification Program, which provides an alternative pathway for people with a bachelor’s degree or higher who want to become certified teachers in Nebraska. The program includes a mix of online courses and on-the-ground experiences, allowing participants to begin working in the classroom immediately.
Becker taught in Overton Public Schools for a year before joining Kearney High School in August 2022.
“It’s been a really good transition for me,” she said. “I feel like I’ve definitely found something that I can see myself doing long term.”
INSPIRE STUDENTS
Becker teaches accounting, finance, economics and business law at KHS and is an FBLA advisor and assistant girls golf coach.
The NSBEA award recognized her innovative teaching methods and passion for inspiring and nurturing young minds – qualities that UNK lecturer Alyse Pflanz also sees.
“Kaylei is someone who is not afraid to try new things. She implements new software that will help her students learn better and engages them by doing new and innovative activities and lessons. She’s always trying to improve and make her program the best it can be,” said Pflanz, coordinator of the UNK Business Teacher Training Program and director of the Center for Economic Education on campus.
“With teaching being her second career path, she’s dedicated herself to it even more and is doing it for all the right reasons,” Pflanz added.
Becker makes his classes as interactive as possible, emphasizing group projects, hands-on activities, and discussion-based learning. Its business law students participate in mock trials; accounting courses use financial documents from real companies; and a personal finance project allows students to explore various careers through role-playing.
“I don’t like to just stand in front of the class and lecture,” Becker said, “so I try to involve them in their education.”
She wants every student to walk away with something, whether it’s better financial management skills, the ability to do their own taxes, or the basic knowledge they’ll need to pursue a career in business.
“It’s rewarding for me to see those light bulbs go off and see them get excited about these topics,” she said.
Becker will complete the transitional certification program in May and she is also working on a Masters in Business Administration with an emphasis on business and IT education through UNK. Many of the same courses count for both programs.
When Becker earns her MBA in December 2024, she will move up the salary scale and be qualified to teach dual enrollment courses.
“UNK has allowed me to continue my education and continue to do everything I want to do at an affordable price,” she said. “The mentors and advisors I have there are the ones who got me to where I am now. I probably wouldn’t have this job or career without them.
