Educators Rising Kentucky names new state officers. Graphic includes photos of each officer(FRANKFORT, KY) – Educators Rising Kentucky named six students to its team of state officers for the 2024-2025 academic year.

The student state officers include:

  • President: Ashlynn Johnson, Marion C. Moore School (Region 3); 
  • President-Elect: Hunter Carr, Graves County High School (Region 1);
  • Co-Director of Membership: Aubree Stamper, Graves County High School (Region 1);
  • Co-Director of Membership: Philena Ash, Bullitt Central High School (Region 4);
  • Director of Communications: Lily Russell, Ignite Institute (Region 6);
  • Director of Outreach and Service: Mckinley Heard, South Warren High School/WKU Young Male Leadership Academy (Region 2).

Educators Rising Kentucky, formerly known as Future Educators of America, is the Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) for middle and high school students interested in education-related careers.

The mission of Educators Rising is to cultivate a new generation of highly skilled educators by guiding young people on a path from high school through college and into their teaching careers. They do this by working with aspiring educators who reflect the demographics of their communities and who are passionate about serving those communities through public education.

“I am so excited to work with such an impressive team of young people. They have already demonstrated their leadership skills and passion to serve their communities,” said Camille Overstreet, Kentucky Department of Education program consultant for Teaching and Learning Pathways and state coordinator for Educators Rising.

As a state affiliate for the national organization, Educators Rising Kentucky partners with Phi Delta Kappa, a professional organization that supports teachers and school leaders by strengthening their interest in the profession through the entire arc of their careers.

Educators Rising’s vision is to create a clear pathway in every school district for young people who want to serve their communities as highly skilled educators.

“We have seen growth across the Commonwealth in these areas and I look forward to working with this team and implementing new and innovative ways to continue to grow our programming,” said Overstreet.

Through this national network, students build resources and create connections that can significantly impact educational opportunities through co-curricular and extracurricular activities, participate in projects that assist educators and take part in performance-based competitions.

Lily Russell will be representing the state as a delegate at the 2024 National Educators Rising Conference in Washington, DC this month.

These student leaders will be involved in the planning and execution of the state conference and will meet with state legislators to discuss the needs of future educators. Additionally, they will represent Educators Rising Kentucky at regional events throughout the Commonwealth and at the national conference in June 2025.