STEPHENVILLE — Four students from Tarleton State University’s Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE) chapter advanced to national level competition after vying at the Teach Tomorrow Summit state conference held in Galveston in February.
Abby Graham, Journey Harris, Madison Klement and Mariann Pustejovsky will head to Orlando, Fla., in June to compete in the Educators Rising national conference. Their events are Educators Rising Moment (Graham); Impromptu Speaking, Interactive Bulletin Board — Elementary and Public Speaking (Harris); Public Speaking (Klement); and Creative Lecture (Pustejovsky).
In addition, the Tarleton State TAFE chapter received the Outstanding Chapter award. Formed in fall 2023, the campus chapter hosted last year’s area competition.
“The national conference is more than just a competition — it’s a celebration of passion, dedication and the future of education,” said Harris, Tarleton State TAFE president. Seeing others showcase their passion inspires her to keep growing, learning and leading, she added, and she’s proud to advance to nationals again with the campus chapter as national president.
Klement echoed that enthusiasm.
“I’m excited for nationals because as a teacher resident, I truly believe what my speech is about. It’s especially exciting since it is my last year to compete,” she said, and added that she hopes to continue positively representing Tarleton State’s education program as an alumna.
“We are incredibly proud of our TAFE chapter for advancing to the national competition,” said Dr. Lesley Leach, Dean of the College of Education. “This achievement reflects the student’s passion for education and commitment to excellence — two essential qualities of outstanding teachers. We wish our students the best of luck at nationals!”
“Qualifying for nationals is a tremendous achievement for our students,” said Katherine Jones, College of Education instructor and Tarleton State TAFE competitive adviser. “This year’s Teach Tomorrow Summit state conference was the largest in TAFE history, with more that 3,700 Texas high school and collegiate competitors. Our recruitment table attracted over 400 students, allowing us to showcase the value of a Tarleton State education.”
Jones said Tarleton’s TAFE chapter has received generous support from alumni and community donors in addition to travel funding for the state competition through a College of Education Kickstart grant. Fundraising is ongoing, and students will be working over the next few months to raise money for the national conference trip. She invited anyone interested in supporting their efforts to contact her at [email protected].
TAFE (pronounced “taffy”) is a statewide cocurricular student organization that enables students to explore opportunities and careers in the teaching profession. It was created in 1984 to provide Texas high school and middle school students with the knowledge to make informed decisions about pursuing a career in education. It’s sponsored by the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals and governed by a board of directors composed of teachers, students and principals.
To learn more about TAFE, visit www.tafeonline.org. For more information about the national competition, visit www.educatorsrising.org/conference-competitions/.
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