Karen Stamps has joined the Hidden Valley staff as the bookkeeper for the 2022-2023 school year. She is one of the bright fresh faces at Hidden Valley! So, if you are looking for the person to turn in those late dual enrollment fees to, you now know where to go. (The room labeled, “Bookkeeping,” for anyone who’s asking). 

Mrs. Stamps has a lengthy history of careers behind her. From working at a CPA firm, to homeschooling her kid, to tutoring students on algebra, she has visibly always had a love for two things: teaching and math. She began her accounting dream when she was in college. The motivation behind wanting to begin her career in accounting was a book. She explains, “When I first started my college experience, I went into education, but my, What Color is Your Parachute? said, ‘Hey, maybe you should do accounting?’” From there, her love of numbers blossomed!  

Bookkeeping was not always the end goal for Mrs. Stamps, though. None other than beloved teacher Mrs. Preston knew that Mrs. Stamps would be perfect for the position. “I worked with Mrs. Stamps last year,” Preston recalls, “She was the math support person. She got along well with my students and was organized, which I felt was exactly what Hidden Valley needed to replace a bookkeeper as good as Mrs. Urley.” Her accounting skills and the positivity that she brings to her work are unmatched. 

Mrs. Stamps has a lot of that at the beginning of the year work. She describes her experience at Hidden Valley, expressing, “I like it a lot! The people are wonderful, the job is fantastic, and it is very busy at the beginning of the year, as you can see.” At that point she gestured to the stacks upon stacks of papers laid on her desk. Busy may actually be an understatement! Mrs. Stamps oversees the collecting of funds from various organizations, clubs, sports, and other activities; organizing and creating spread sheets that document what the school receives funds for; and she creates spreadsheets to record what the school is spending. That is a demanding job! She is essentially the accountant of our school, which cannot be an easy task with so many people and the plethora of activities that are offered. 

Everyone at HVHS is sure to agree that Mrs. Stamps is an amazing bookkeeper and an equally perfect addition to the school. Let’s all try to make her tasks a little bit easier, and turn in dues for programs, tests, or activities that you may be participating in on time. With Mrs. Stamps here, this year is sure to be more organized than ever!