Delawareans had a historic performance at the 2025 Educators Rising National Conference this past weekend. (From left: Michaelah Riggins (Lake Forest High School Vice-President of College & Career Readiness), Kylie Hill-Shaner (Smyrna Middle School, Vice-President of DEIB & Membership Relations), Ambar Gomez-Toro (Lake Forest High School, Chief Equity and Strategy Officer), Justin McGinnis (Polytech High School, Vice-President of Public and Community Relations).
Delaware students achieved unprecedented success at the 2025 Educators Rising National Conference, held June 26–29 in Orlando, Florida.
Competing among more than 3,000 middle school, high school, and collegiate students from across the country, Delaware’s delegation brought home multiple top honors—including the state’s first-ever national champions in both the middle school and collegiate divisions.
Held under the theme “Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders,” the annual conference is the premier national event for aspiring educators.
READ: Carolann Wicks is the new Board President of YWCA Delaware
Delaware’s student performance this year was one of its strongest to date: 39% of participants finished in the Top 10, and 26 students placed nationally.
Among the most notable wins:
- Kylie Hill-Shaner of Smyrna Middle School became Delaware’s first-ever Middle School National Champion, winning 1st place in Exploring Support Services Careers.
- Jessica Price from the University of Delaware made history as the state’s first Collegiate National Champion, taking top honors in Creative Lecture.
- Samantha Klein of Appoquinimink High School earned 1st place in Lesson Plan & Delivery – Arts.
“The recognition from this win is something that I certainly didn’t expect when I heard my name called in the Educators Rising conference, but nevertheless, it is greatly appreciated,” Klein said. “However, with my win in a visual art-based category, it truly does mean a lot to me because creativity and art have always been a passion of mine ever since I was little, so it feels like both a tribute to my younger self as well as all the young creative minds in fifth-grade class I taught at Old State Elementary. I believe that it shows that if you have the passion and love for something, that small spark can turn into a roaring flame faster than you could ever imagine.”
Klein got involved with Educators Rising and its competitions in her freshman year because of her desire to get involved with education and inspire the young minds of tomorrow, and she thought that this would be a good way to do this, alongside being in the Education and Leadership Pathway.
Hill-Shaner said she’s thankful for the opportunity and support to even be able to compete.
“This experience means so much, not just for me, but for other young students who can now see themselves in our organization,” she said. “Winning helps shine a light on what’s possible for students in Delaware and gives more of us the chance to experience the education profession early on. I’m proud to represent Delaware and show the nation what a young student can achieve.”
She is the first middle school state officer in the nation and was elected again at our state conference this year, and said the competition gives her more opportunities to explore her future careers and build my leadership skills.
“These competitions, win or lose, help me grow as a human and I learn from the judge’s feedback,” she said. “This competition helped me learn about a career I am interested in.”
This is Hill-Shaner’s my second year attending nationals.
“I was extremely excited when they called my name,” she said. “I was happy to share this with my school team. But it’s more important that this helps bring attention to our organization and gives positive information about education careers.”
As a state officer, she was able to help support and cheer on other members of our state.
Klein also loved her experience.
“My experience being in the chapter at the school, state, and national levels was always extremely positive due to the amazing staff members and funding from the Appoquinimink School District,” she said. “In my competition, I had to create a lesson plan and deliver that plan completely from scratch to a class of real fifth-grade students. I think that getting first place at both states and nationals really shows my skills and ability to work and teach at a professional level. I hope to use this accomplishment to demonstrate my future performance as an actual teacher to different universities and opportunities that come my way. I hope that creating a lesson and delivering it to this success allows me to gain a profession as an elementary school teacher in the near future, and be able to inspire generations to come.”
Smyrna Middle School saw an especially strong showing, with 100% of its competitors finishing in the Top 5 nationally.
Highlights across divisions
Middle School division
- Kylie Hill-Shaner – 1st Place, Exploring Support Services Careers
- Marley Coleman – 2nd Place, K–3 Children’s Literature (Spanish)
- Maddox Battaglia & Kylie Hopp – Top 5, K–3 Children’s Literature
Junior Varsity (High School) division
- Samantha Klein – 1st Place, Lesson Plan & Delivery – Arts
- Several other students from Smyrna, Middletown, Cape Henlopen, and Hodgson Vo-Tech finished in the Top 10 across categories such as literature, job interviews, and education moments.
Varsity division
- Natasha Martinez (Sussex Central) – 2nd Place, Educators Rising Moment (Spanish)
- Adison Weisenberger (Smyrna) – 3rd Place, Exploring Support Services Careers
- India Motley (St. George’s Tech) – 3rd Place, Lesson Plan & Delivery – STEM
- Breehanna Campbell & Brianna Kalb (Smyrna) – 3rd Place, Researching Learning Challenges
Collegiate division
- Jessica Price (University of Delaware) – 1st Place, Creative Lecture
- Leilani Carrera (University of Delaware) – 2nd Place, Educators Rising Moment
More than a competition
The conference also featured keynote addresses by national education leaders, including Missy Testerman, the 2024 National Teacher of the Year, and Nicholas “Nick” Moore, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education. Programming included workshops on equity, AI in classrooms, and leadership development, as well as free certification exams and a community service initiative supporting Central Florida schools.
“This competition wasn’t just about my future career, it helped me grow as a human and increase my academic skills,” Hill-Shaner said. “I learned how to speak in public, explain my research in writing, improve my reading skills, and even feel more confident making eye contact. These are things I’ve struggled with as a student with an IEP, but this experience really pushed me in the best way. One day, I want to start out as a paraprofessional, then become a school psychologist. My ultimate goal is to work at the Department of Education and help make changes that support students, teachers, and the communities across the state of Delaware.”
About Educators Rising Delaware
Educators Rising Delaware, supported by the Delaware Department of Education, is part of a national career and technical student organization dedicated to cultivating future educators.
Through hands-on learning, mentorship, and competitive events, students gain the skills and confidence to lead the next generation in classrooms across the country.
Raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Jarek earned a B.A. in journalism and a B.A. in political science from Temple University in 2021. After running CNN’s Michael Smerconish’s YouTube channel, Jarek became a reporter for the Bucks County Herald before joining Delaware LIVE News.
Jarek can be reached by email at jarek@dimgrey-peafowl-504880.hostingersite.com or by phone at (215) 450-9982. Follow him on Twitter @jarekrutz and on LinkedIn.
Related Posts:
Share this Post