On Wednesday, May 3, a large crowd of family, friends, current and former students and colleagues, and local officials gathered in the vestibule of Mt. Hope High School. At exactly 10:30 a.m. they headed down the corridor and squeezed into Maureen Gauthier’s classroom where she was supervising a roomful of students working on their resumes.

Rhode Island Treasurer James A. Diossa let Gauthier know the reason for the intrusion, announcing that she was being honored with the 2023 Financial Literacy Educator Award.

It’s an award that honors educators who lead their field by teaching personal finance, economics, business, and other related courses.
With over 20 years of teaching experience, Gauthier has a deep commitment to fostering financial literacy at her school and in her community. Nominations from students, parents, and fellow educators highlighted her ability to impart real-world knowledge to her students and her efforts to improve financial literacy education in her own school and across the state.

According to Diossa, who cited both her classroom work and leadership of the High School’s DECA club, an international organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management, the amount of support Gauthier received for this award was “truly inspirational.”

Senator Wally Felag was on hand to offer his support of Gauthier as well as her colleagues, crediting the foundation his own son received at MHHS some 13 years ago for his successful career in business marketing and analytics. Representative Susan Donovan noted that Gauthier’s classroom was the very same in which she had her first business class as a student at Bristol High School. “I’m so proud of you, and Mt. Hope High School,” said Donovan.

“I’m so honored,” said Gauthier. “I could not do it without support of colleagues like Mike Almeida and Brian Latessa, Principal [Michelle] King, Superintendent [Ana] Riley, my family and students.”

“While Financial Literacy Month may be over, I want Rhode Islanders to have financial literacy and empowerment on their minds year-round,” said Diossa. “Our state’s educators work tirelessly to set the next generation of Rhode Islanders on the pathway to success. Maureen Gauthier is outstanding among them in her dedication to giving students the building blocks for a financially secure future.”