Photo provided The Steubenville High School Educators Rising Chapter will head to a national competition for the third time as they join nearly 4,000 organization members across the U.S. in Portland, Ore., on June 19-23. Seven members will compete in team and individual events and include, pictured from left, Emily Martin, Madison Jerideau, adviser M.J. Burkett, Sarah Sullivan, Adelyn Johnson, and Stella Schiappa. Not pictured is Clara Hoffman.

STEUBENVILLE – Steubenville High School’s Educators Rising organization has a lot to cheer about since members are bound for the national competition in June.

Seven members are headed to Portland, Ore., on June 19-23 for the Educators Rising National Conference, where they will be among more than 3,800 teens across the U.S. participating in team and individual contests at the Oregon Convention Center. Educators Rising is a national career-technical student organization (CTSO) that prepares and inspires today’s students to become teachers of tomorrow through curriculum, competitions, and community-based initiatives.

Adviser M.J. Burkett said this marks the third time SHS has been to the main contest, and this year’s participants include senior Adelyn Johnson, juniors Sarah Sullivan, Stella Schiappa, and Clara Hoffman, sophomore Emily Martin, and freshman Madison Jerideau.

“This team went to Orlando, Fla., last year,” Burkett said. “In order to qualify they have to be in the top 10 at the state competition. I’m proud of all the hard work they put in and I’m looking forward to seeing them shine at the nationals.”

The group began preparing in October and excelled again at the Ohio event in Columbus on March 3-4, where they were among 823 students from 45 schools participating. The team of Sullivan, Johnson, Schiappa, and Hoffman researched and completed a paper and PowerPoint presentation on learning challenges with hearing impairment, with Sullivan interpreting in American Sign Language, while Jerideau and Martin each competed in individual junior varsity contests where they wrote and read original books. All of the presentations were scored by judges and the members advanced to the national stage.

“We did the same competition last year and they give you a subject to research and present,” said Schiappa.

“The research took two to three weeks, and then we did the paper and slideshow. We presented it with a PowerPoint and an ASL interpretation,” commented Sullivan.

Johnson added that the scoring was based on various factors, including format and content for the research paper and visuals, presentation, and organization for the PowerPoint.

“We were excited. Having done this last year, we hoped we’d do it again,” she continued.

Jerideau said she worked on her preschool-aged book about Kindness Day for a month and was surprised to gain a top spot in her category.

“We acted like we were sitting in a classroom and I was reading to students,” she said. “The judges then asked questions. I was really surprised and I didn’t expect it.”

Ditto for Martin, who said her tome took nearly a month to complete.

“I also did children’s literature and targeted kindergarten to third grade. It’s about making changes,” she added, saying she was thrilled to reach the next level.”I am nervous but excited.”

The members will take their submissions to the nationals, albeit with some minor tweaks to the team’s presentation based upon suggestions by the state judges.

This summer’s event will begin with a pre-conference on June 19 featuring meetings for state officers and state and regional coordinators and the opening ceremony starts the next day with an address by keynote speaker Ashlie Crosson, the 2025 National Teacher of the Year. Festivities will continue with competitions, a college and innovation fair, breakout sessions, exhibits, meetings for state and regional coordinators and state officers, curriculum training, student testing, a national delegate meeting, a student social event, and a membership recognition lunch with keynote and a national signing day. Students will also have time to do a little sightseeing before the conference closes June 23 with a general session and awards celebration.

In the meantime, each of them has an interest in education as a career path in the future and said being part of Educators Rising is helping to prepare them for that day.

“I want to teach on a college level,” said Johnson. “I like the atmosphere of being in a professional setting and I want to go into psychology.”

“I think, in general, that I want to make a difference in schools,” added Sullivan, who was unsure of which grade level she wanted to teach.