Mary Suiter is a 1989 graduate of the Lerner College’s Master of Arts in Economics and Entrepreneurship for Educators (MAEEE) program whose career has had a lasting impact on economic and personal finance education. Through her work developing classroom-ready lessons, videos and online resources and providing professional development for educators in the U.S. and abroad, Suiter helped extend the reach of economic education far beyond a single classroom. She reflects on how the MAEEE program laid the foundation for her work, the mentors and connections that shaped her path and the program’s enduring “multiplier effect” for educators.
What is your job title and name of school, district, or organization?
Assistant Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
What exciting news or accomplishments have you been a part of?
I’m retired, but my most exciting work accomplishments were the development of a broad range of lesson plans, videos and online modules for teaching economics and personal finance for use in Pre-K – 12 grade classrooms. These resources are currently available at FRE.org. In addition, I had the opportunity to offer professional development for educators throughout the country as well as in 15 other countries. The foundation for much of this work was the education I received in the MAEEE program at UD.
Why is this news valuable to your colleagues or educators considering the MAEEE program?
I hope that it allows them to see that the MAEEE degree provides opportunity to impact not only the students in their classrooms, but also other teachers and their students. The MAEEE degree results in a tremendous multiplier effect allowing those who have the degree to make a significant difference.
What did you learn through your MAEEE experience that you wouldn’t have learned anywhere else?
I learned how to teach economics – content, tools and techniques for teaching economics.
Describe an important connection you have made through your graduate program (personal, professional, peers, mentors, professors, etc.)
The most significant connection I made through the program was with Dr. Bonnie Meszaros who was a mentor and later a colleague and dear friend. She and I worked to develop a Train the Writers program that provided participants with the tools to develop high-quality, active learning lessons. In addition, I made connections with economic educators across the country.
What other opportunities has the MAEEE degree provided you?
As a result of the program, I had the opportunity to become a certified Mini-Society trainer and participate as faculty in the CEE International Economics program. Additionally, it became the foundation for my continued work to earn a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction.
If you were to describe your classmates in one word, what would that be?
I would describe my classmates as passionate. They were passionate about teaching economics and becoming “econevangelists.” And, by econevangelists, I mean people who promoted the value of economics and active learning.
Fill in this sentence: “The MAEEE graduate program helped me become…”
An expert economic education with specialized skills in curriculum development.
What piece(s) of advice would you give to current MAEEE students or prospective applicants?
Go the distance. It isn’t easy to complete a program with challenging content in a short timeframe. However, the rewards are great. The completed degree provides specialized skills that you won’t find elsewhere. And, those skills set you apart from the average social studies educator.