Marketing teacher Ben Stodola’s teaching career didn’t exactly begin the way he envisioned. He majored in Business Information Technology throughout his undergraduate studies in college, mostly working with data and analytics for the majority of his time. “My internship that I had throughout college was staring at Excel spreadsheets,” Stodola said. “It was horrible.”

Stodola then decided to switch to the teaching program at Rock Ridge after graduating from Virginia Tech in 2017. “When I was a student teacher, I liked that marketing allowed everyone to be more creative,” Stodola said. He strongly believed in the idea that marketing didn’t need to be taught by a textbook. The subject was more interactive rather than just plain memorization of terms and facts. “It allows [students] to connect [a lot] of our content to things that interest them,” Stodola said. “I think it makes [the subject] a lot more fun.”

Stodola enjoys coming to work every day and working with his students since it’s a completely different atmosphere compared to his previous Business Information Technology internship. “Even if you’re teaching the same subject, you have a different group of kids every year,” Stodola said. He expresses the importance of connecting with each student on a personal level because every one of them has their own unique personality and hidden potential. “[The best part] is seeing growth in students and trying to help them find something they’re interested in.” 

One of his biggest strengths as a teacher is his ability to connect and empathize with his students. “Mr. Stodola is really good at understanding what his students’ needs are,” co-marketing teacher Sandra Tucker said. “He’s really good at connecting people.” 

Although academic achievement and growth are something that Stodola likes to see in his students, he also strongly believes in empowering his students emotionally. “If [a student] is having a rough day, I try to be the person that makes their day a little better,” Stodola said. 

Stodola is well-known throughout the Rock Ridge community, especially since he teaches a variety of grade levels. “He has a really strong presence in the student body,” senior Ashi Akula said.  Akula has known Stodola since her freshman year, and she appreciates all of his efforts toward helping her and her peers succeed. “He’s not only helped me by offering support and guidance,” Akula said. “He’s also taught me so many professional skills like public speaking.” 

Akula remembers that she was very shy during her freshman year and didn’t like speaking in front of people. “[Stodola] helped me get out of that shell and encouraged me,” Akula said. “He cares so much, and you can tell that he really cares about all of his students.”

While Stodola’s classes are engaging and interactive, sometimes they can be chaotic as well. “It’ll always look a little chaotic, but hopefully that atmosphere allows students to want to be in that setting,” Stodola said. 

Students also appreciate the interactivity and the slightly chaotic atmosphere of his classes. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt bored or tired in any of his classes because [we’re always playing] a game or interactive activity,” sophomore Sahasra Godlaveti said. “There’s a lot of guidance and mentoring throughout the class, so you never feel lost or confused.”

His students love his encouraging and calm personality, which helps them overcome their fears in the classroom. “He lets everyone be themselves in the classroom while keeping it under control as well,” Akula said. 

Stodola encourages his students to be able to take risks and participate in class discussions without feeling pressured by their peers. “The goal would be to make sure that [my students] aren’t focused on what somebody else thinks,” Stodola said. “[I want them to think] ‘Oh, this person did something really cool, I want to do something really cool.’” 

Students also appreciate the interactivity and the slightly chaotic atmosphere of his classes. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt bored or tired in any of his classes because [we’re always playing] a game or interactive activity,” sophomore Sahasra Godlaveti said. “There’s a lot of guidance and mentoring throughout the class, so you never feel lost or confused.”

Diving Into DECA 

While being a marketing teacher is Stodola’s primary profession, he also takes up the responsibility of being one of the Rock Ridge DECA advisors. DECA, formally known as Distributive Education Clubs of America, is a career and technical student organization that allows students to compete in different business events all across the country. When he was in high school, DECA was never something Stodola would’ve imagined himself participating in. He was playing sports year-round, and he didn’t want to add any additional commitments to his plate. “I give a lot of credit to some of our students here that can balance 15 different things and do them well,” Stodola said. 

Even though Stodola never participated in DECA when he was in high school, his involvement with the program became vital to his professional career. “I’ve always wanted to coach when I was growing up,” Stodola said. “I think DECA is a form of that because of the guidance, the structure, and the planning.” 

Inevitably, there are ups and downs when it comes to competing in DECA, but Stodola believes that it helps build students’ creativity and confidence. “You get to see people’s hard work pay off,” Stodola said. “The hard part is when you see people that deserved to be rewarded not necessarily [place in their event]. You see both sides of it, unfortunately.” Stodola strongly believes that winning doesn’t determine a student’s hard work and effort. “There are things that can be rewarding without necessarily winning a medal or placing [in an event],” he said. “People can still grow and that can ultimately help them later on.”

Stodola has seen a drastic improvement in his students’ confidence levels through competing in DECA. “Seeing kids who have grown from being terrified to speak in front of a class to being comfortable communicating in front of people [makes me proud],” Stodola said. 

A Shocking Surprise 

Before the 2023 Virginia Association of Marketing Educators (VAME) Summer Conference that was held in Richmond this past July, Stodola would have never envisioned himself winning an award. “Some of the other marketing teachers [from across the state] said that they were gonna send a video of my face,” Stodola said. “I was in complete shock and I was kind of confused.”

Stodola submitted a resume to be nominated for the VAME award just for the fun of it, not expecting any particular outcome. As the nomination process continued, Stodola took a step back to reflect on his teaching career. “It was cool seeing the reflection aspect, but I had no expectations at all [to win the award],” Stodola said. He also took this opportunity to share his professional portfolio and accomplishments with his family. 

Stodola gives a lot of credit to his mentors and co-workers over the years who have guided him throughout his teaching career. One of the people who sparked his interest in teaching was William Price, an associate professor in the School of Education at Virginia Tech. “He was super caring and funny,” Stodola said. “But he was also very smart and organized, and he would push you [to succeed] as well.” Stodola took inspiration from Price’s teaching style and mindset, and he applies those principles when he’s working with his students daily. 

Many of his mentors and co-workers wrote letters of recommendation for Stodola to win the VAME award. “Reading other people’s viewpoints is humbling,” Stodola said. “You don’t ask people to write nice things [for you], but when you see it, it’s reassuring.” 

Stodola’s reputation around the school is a direct reflection of all of his efforts towards teaching over the past seven years. “He’s so involved around the school and he puts a lot of effort into what he does,” Akula said. “If anyone deserves this award, it’s him.”