Chaffey College Business Professor Awarded Education Medal of Honor

Nadia Neal came to Chaffey 2016 after working for years in a customer service job that made her unhappy. Her life changed when she enrolled in an introduction to business class taught by Monica Stockhausen.

“You’ve inspired me to want more, but I don’t know how to get more,” she told Stockhausen after class.

Stockhausen advised Neal to quit her job and chase after her dreams. After taking more courses and working with the professor’s business development firm, NerdyGirl Strategic Consulting, Neal started a home meal preparation service called Haven Meals.

“Her business blew up. It was amazing to watch,” Stockhausen said.

It’s one of countless stories of how Stockhausen has transformed the lives of students and entrepreneurs throughout Southern California. And it is one of the reasons she has been awarded the San Bernardino County Education Medal of Honor.

“I’ve worked very hard for a long time in education and business development, so I am grateful for the opportunity,” she said. “It was a surprise.”

Stockhausen grew up in Rialto and graduated from Carter High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from California State University San Bernardino and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Mercy College in New York.

She helped underserved children with nonprofit organizations such as the Youth Action Project, Gear Up, Upward Bound and SCO Family of Services. When she completed her master’s program, a professor suggested she try teaching.

After several years teaching at for-profit colleges in New York, Stockhausen decided to leave the freezing winters behind and return to her roots in the Inland Empire.

On a whim, she drove to Chaffey College in 2015 in search of a job.

“Without an interview or an appointment, I went to the business department and asked if I could teach,” she said. “Dean Joy Haerens grilled me, gave me an on-the-spot interview and then hired me. I’ve been at Chaffey for 11 years,” she said.

Stockhausen says Haerens is one of her guests for the April 7 awards ceremony.

Susana Campos, a former student of Stockhausen’s, said her instruction has helped her academically and personally. Campos has been able to apply business concepts to real life in areas such as communication, professionalism and strategic thinking. She works as an entrepreneur with Mary Kay.

“Thought her guidance, I’ve gained more confidence in presenting ideas, working with others and thinking critically about business decisions,” Campos said.

The professor wanted to help other women succeed in corporate and entrepreneurial endeavors, so she established NerdyGirls Strategic Consulting – a throwback to her own childhood persona. She developed a 10-week program called “The Proven Method” that elevates entrepreneurs into six-figure incomes in just a year. Stockhausen also assists local and state organizations, as well as nonprofits with organizational leadership, and professional and leadership development.

But her heart is also in the classroom.

“I’m teaching students how to change the trajectory of their world by simply leaning into moments and opportunities,” she said. “These are moments where I know this is where I’m supposed to be.”