Pop sockets and pens go flying through the air, landing in the hands of students. Laughter can be heard from even outside D215, and if one were to peek their head inside the classroom, they would see about 20 pairs of eyes rapturously focused on a speaker as she animatedly walked around the room.

More often than not, guest speakers at high schools struggle to keep the class engaged. But this was not the case with Jennifer Stubblefield. On Thursday during fifth period, Stubblefield began her presentation, sharing life and business tips with the students of Business Information Management I. 

“When [our teacher] told us on Tuesday that Jennifer Stubblefield was coming to present, I was so excited. I was out of my mind,” sophomore Carlos Coloma said.

Stubblefield is Certiport’s 2019 Certified Educator of the Year, 2018 Southern Business Education Teacher of the Year in eight states, and Kentucky’s 2016 Teacher of the Year. She is a veteran business education teacher from Kentucky who speaks at conferences across America about Business Education & Technology. She is also a content creator of the Brain Buffet software the Business Information Management class at Coppell High School uses for its certification curriculum. 

“I want students to know anything is possible, and to skill themselves because they are competing against others,” Stubblefield said. “They should know to never underestimate the power of certifications because they can open doors that would have otherwise remained closed.”

Stubblefield presented six main life lessons: the importance of first impressions, to strike while the iron is hot, to market oneself, to travel, to “put it all together,” and to always keep one’s word. 

But standing in front of a PowerPoint talking is not all she did. To keep students engaged, she handed out prizes and gave witty anecdotes with each tip, walking around the room making exaggerated hand motions as she spoke.

“She involved everyone in the crowd and kept everyone entertained,” sophomore Grayson Neville said. “My biggest takeaway was lesson No. 6. I’m really glad she talked about how important [promises are].”

Stubblefield has spoken to classes of students across the nation, but Coppell High School was her first since the start of the pandemic. 

“It’s really nice to be back,” she said. “I love kids and I want them to be successful, so I’m glad I’m able to do what I love again.”

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