Our public schools provide educational opportunities well beyond the basic subjects. Career education and guidance plays a major role in education our young people today.

Amy Hallyburton Shuping currently serves as the Career and Technical Education (CTE) coordinator for Burke County Public Schools. “In my current position, I wear many hats,” explains Amy. “I serve as the Curriculum and Instructional Management Coordinator PPOC (Primary Point of Contact), which means I am the lead testing coordinator. I am also responsible for our county’s career development activities for grades five through twelve. In this capacity, I am in charge of the BCPS middle school career fair and high school job fairs, organizing industry tours for our middle and high school students, coordinating internships and classroom speakers, and serving as the business and industry liaison.

“I enjoy assisting our CTE teachers with their curriculums and providing guidance when they have questions or issues. I always want to help them discover easier routes to perform their jobs. I also enjoy helping students and guiding them in their paths to successful careers. Growing up in a family full of educators, I was always surrounded by people talking about school. My family and friends inspired me to become a teacher after leaving my first career in hotel management.

“I started my job in education in 2002, serving as an Internship Coordinator for BCPS. I accepted a Business education position at Freedom High School in 2003. When Patton High School opened in 2007, I became a charter member of the faculty. During my tenure as a business teacher, I taught many classes including Digital Communications Systems, Computer Applications I, Multimedia and Webpage Design, and Personal Finance. I was also the yearbook advisor at Patton, the Homecoming coordinator, and I served on several other committees. After teaching for ten years, I became a Career Development Coordinator at Patton. I served in this position at Patton and Freedom High School for ten years.

“The main challenge in my current position is the inability to find certified teachers for vacant CTE positions. Teaching has given me many rewarding experiences. I have experienced the gift of meeting and mentoring a large number of young people and making a difference in their lives. I remain in touch with many of my former students, and I enjoy watching them grow and become successful young adults.


In addition to the BSBA degree in Hospitality Management in 1991, Amy went on to earn an MA in Educational Media from ASU in 2006 and has also received the Career Development Coordinator Certification and Curriculum and Instructional Management Certification.

“I loved my three years spent at East Burke High School. I’ll never forget walking into that big school as a freshman and being so excited to meet people and to make new friends from all over the eastern end of the county. I still keep in touch with many lifelong friends who went to high school with me.

“I loved participating in many clubs including SGA, Anchor Club, Interact, and the band, where I was a member of the flag corps. Some of my favorite and most influential teachers at East Burke were Anne Stephens (she helped me gain confidence in my writing), Beth Robinson Bailey (she always welcomed us in her room any time of the day), Reynolds Hollifield (he was always smiling and willing to help me in math), and Kathryn Siphers (she was always strict but helped us believe in our musical talents).

“I really enjoy my job and find it very fulfilling. I plan to continue to lead our CTE teachers and assist students in discovering their career paths until my retirement!”

Published September 2023

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