Teaching at a high school can be a treacherous journey, but the challenges that she is facing don’t deter the new business teacher at Dover Area High School, Melissa Ural.

While some may find connecting with their students difficult, Ural plans on bringing her experience from the business world into her classroom by “sharing real-life stories and examples from her time working in HR to make lessons relatable,” she said.

Ural’s desire to become a teacher isn’t a new revelation either; throughout her career, Ural has always wanted to be a teacher. “I’ve found great fulfillment in developing leaders through coaching, mentoring, and creating content to enhance their skills,” she said.

Ural will continue to develop leaders through DECA, where she is now an advisor. “DECA gives students a chance to dive into real-world challenges, build leadership skills, and work together as a team,” Ural said. By being an advisor to DECA, she hopes to “help students discover their passions in business and grow into confident leaders who can make a difference in the world.” 

While business may seem daunting to get involved in, some things make it easier to dive into. Mastering your communication skills and finding what fires you up are two things that make it easier to enter a business career. “Think of communication as your secret weapon in the business world. The better you communicate, the easier it will be to make friends, network, and work well with others,” stated Ural.

Thanks to Ural, more students are becoming interested in the business field. However, the biggest lesson to take away from her teachings is that “you need to love what you do because then it feels less like work and more like fun.”