STEPHENVILLE — Two Tarleton State University students compete in the esteemed Educators Rising Conference for future leaders in education, both taking home first place.
In early July, Madison Klement and Journey Harris, undergraduate students in the teacher education program at Tarleton State, competed in events at nationals, showcasing their skills as future educators. Both students received first place in their respective competitions, and Harris was elected president of the organization for 2024-2025.
“Educators Rising, a student-led event, was a powerful gathering of 3,300 participants, including middle school, high school and college students,” said Dr. Anna Fox, Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. “It encouraged me that the future of the teaching profession is optimistic and will land in capable hands with a new generation of teachers.”
Dr. Chris Sloan, Interim Dean of the College of Education, expounded on the prestige of this competition. “Each student is only allowed to compete in a single area during the national-level conference, so there is one shot at getting it right. These two took the shot and aced it.”
This was Klement’s first time attending Educators Rising. She first learned about the opportunity when she got involved with the Texas Association of Future Educators on Tarleton State’s Waco campus. The competition Klement competed in was called Educators Rising Moment. In this event, students were required to give a speech about the moment that affirmed their calling to be a teacher.
“When I heard about this competition, I knew I wanted to compete pretty much immediately,” said Klement. “I had a professor in a dual credit class in high school, and she and I had a really impactful moment that led to her mentoring me, helping my confidence to grow. She helped me to see this is what I want to do, and why I want to do it.”
Harris had attended Educators Rising prior to this year, leaving her striving for more this time around.
“Last year at nationals, I said I would never do this again,” stated Harris. “But here I am now as the national president and national title holder. That is a testament to those who pulled me up and brushed my shoulders off. I am especially grateful for the guidance of Dr. Fox and Dr. Rose. I hope that one day I will be a teacher who does that for my students. I hope my students know it is okay to fall in Ms. Harris’ classroom because I am happy to pick them up.”
Tarleton State strives for excellence in teacher preparation, aiming to fill classrooms with highly qualified professionals in Texas and across the nation.
“Our dedicated faculty and district partners have joined together to ensure we live up to the outstanding reputation we have garnered from the Texas Education Agency, State Board of Education, State Board of Educator Certification and every other university across the state,” said Dr. Sloan. “Tarleton’s College of Education doesn’t just produce great teachers, we prepare the future teacher leaders that every child in Texas deserves.”
To learn more about Tarleton State University’s College of Education, visit www.tarleton.edu/coe/.
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