HSLDA Online Academy | Personal Finance & Accounting

Personal Finance & Accounting

Master Teacher:  Amy Raybould Derstine

Amy Raybould DerstineMaster Teacher: Personal Finance & Accounting
Classroom Teacher: AP® Micro & Macroeconomics 

Amy Raybould Derstine

MA, Liberty University
BS, Liberty University

Amy Raybould Derstine graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in business economics and earned a Master of Arts degree in business from Liberty University. During her years of study, Amy assisted in teaching all age groups, ranging from elementary students to undergraduate and graduate college students. She has taught the Academy’s AP® Microeconomics and AP® Macroeconomics courses since their inception, and is now the Course Developer and Master Teacher of Personal Finance & Accounting.

Amy is no stranger to the online education format. Prior to working at TD Bank and Susquehanna Bank, she served as the Director of Academic Advising for Liberty University Online. She currently resides in New Jersey, where she has served as a Relationship Manager and Vice President in the banking industry.

This is Amy’s eighth year teaching for the Academy.

Classroom Teacher:  Stephanie Guido

Stephanie GuidoClassroom Teacher

Stephanie Guido

BA, Patrick Henry College

Stephanie Guido teaches Personal Finance & Accounting and AP® US Government for HSLDA Online Academy. Her experience in both subjects is extensive.

At the age of 16, Stephanie began work for an accounting firm, where she quickly progressed from copying tax documents, to filing tax reports, balancing monthly client bank accounts in QuickBooks, and compiling financial services portfolios. Within a year of starting work, Stephanie was hired by her church to do their monthly bookkeeping and yearly accounting reports. Since that time, Stephanie has worked as an independent contractor, managing bookkeeping, payroll, and tax forms for multiple companies. She also completed a Financial Peace University course as a highschooler and used the lessons she learned there in managing her own finances, remaining debt-free through college.

She holds a BA in government from Patrick Henry College, graduating summa cum laude with highest honors. During her time at PHC, Stephanie participated in Moot Court, interned in Care Net’s legal department, and fulfilled her childhood dream of working on Capitol Hill by interning in Congressman Trent Franks’s (AZ) office. After college, she worked for the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, providing administrative support for the Commission on Non-Profit Accountability commissioned by Senator Grassley. In this role, she worked with legal, religious, and non-profit experts from across the country to help religious non-profit organizations improve their internal regulation standards.

Prior to coming on campus at PHC, Stephanie completed twenty-seven PHC distance learning credits, so she has experienced online classes from a student’s perspective and is committed to cultivating a rich interactive experience and prompt teacher responses.

Stephanie lives in Texas with her husband Ben, a doctoral candidate in philosophy at Baylor University, and their two children, Rowena and Cedric. Ben is the Course Developer and Master Teacher for the Academy’s Logic & Critical Thinking course. When Stephanie has any free time, she enjoys reading, baking, hiking, jigsaw puzzling, and tabletop gaming.

This is Stephanie's third year teaching for the Academy.

Duration: Yearlong course offered in fall/spring (32 weeks).
Suggested High School Credit Value: 1 credit.
Suggested Grade Level: 10th grade level and up.
Tuition: $495 for HSLDA Members/$545 for non-HSLDA Members. 

Description: In Personal Finance & Accounting, students will learn how to manage their own personal finances while learning basic accounting principles and practices. Practical applications include creating a personal budget and filing taxes.

Personal Finance & Accounting — Live Online Class Session Schedule, 2017–18

Class Section

Weekly Meeting Time

Instructors
Section 1
 Tuesdays, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Eastern Mrs. Stephanie Guido 
Section 2

Tuesdays, 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Eastern

 Mrs. Stephanie Guido 
Section 3

Thursdays, 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Eastern

 Mrs. Amy Raybould Derstine
Additional class times will be added as they become available for registration. If you have questions, please call 540-338-8290 or email academy@hslda.org.

Frequently Asked Questions about
Personal Finance & Accounting

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  • What topics will I learn about in Personal Finance & Accounting?

    The goal of Personal Finance & Accounting is to help students understand the vital importance of financial management as well as obtain a fundamental understanding of standard accounting practices and principles from a biblical worldview. Students will learn about:

    • Personal financial planning
    • Banking and the banking industry
    • Accounting methods
    • Financial statements
    • Business structures
    • Biblical perspectives on finances

    The course will employ readings, lectures, book review, online and group discussions, projects and other web-based learning resources to enhance understanding of these topics.

  • Am I ready to take Personal Finance & Accounting?

    Students are ready to take Personal Finance & Accounting once they have completed Algebra 1 and are able to read at a 10th grade level. It is also recommended that students have some experience using Microsoft Excel as they will be using this program to prepare budgets and learn accounting principles. 

  • What if I have a schedule conflict with listed Personal Finance & Accounting class times?

    All live class sessions are recorded for later viewing. While it is recommended that students attend each live class session, students can make arrangements to watch the recordings and receive full participation credit.

    Students should contact their instructor at the start of their course to inform the instructor of any foreseen schedule conflicts. 

  • What is a Live Online Class Session in Personal Finance & Accounting?

    In every HSLDA Academy course, students meet weekly with their instructor and classmates in an online classroom for additional teaching, discussion, Q&A, or group activities. The class sessions are interactive and are conducted using a web meeting software with video, audio, chat, and application sharing capabilities.

    Scheduled, real-time sessions in the online classroom are not the only form of instruction available in a HSLDA Online Academy course, but are offered in addition to lectures or other instructional materials that students are able to access online at their convenience.

    When they register, students will need to select a particular class section and live class meeting time. Additional class sections may be added to the schedule at a later point in the course registration period. Registered students will be notified of any changes to the live session schedule.

  • What is the tuition for Personal Finance & Accounting?

    Please visit our tuition and discounts page for a full summary about course costs.

    HSLDA members save $50 on yearlong high school courses!

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