Educators Rising Alaska student officer elected national president
Nov. 21, 2022
Torrey McClain is on the far right, standing with three fellow officers, and three officers from last year's lineup of national student officers.
Educators Rising Alaska is celebrating the accomplishments of one of their high school students. Torrey McClain, a senior at Palmer High School, was elected president of the Educators Rising national student officers. As president, Torrey is one of four student officers and her role will include serving as an ambassador to her peers for the future of the teaching profession and promoting the effectiveness of Educators Rising as a pathway for students becoming future educators. Torrey was an Alaska state officer in 2021-22.
Torrey’s successful candidacy was announced at the 2022 national conference in Washington, D.C., attended by 46 Educators Rising Alaska students including herself. The national organization, Educators Rising, hosts a conference every summer hosting chapters from 37 states where students can participate in activities and compete in education-related events. Educators Rising Alaska had a relatively small representation at Nationals, yet managed to have a large representation in the top ten, with numerous students placing 1st-3rd in their competitions.
Program Manager for the Alaska chapter housed under K-12 Outreach Offices, Barbara Wadlinger, expressed her excitement for Torrey, “We are thrilled to have Torrey represent Alaska and the nation as a national officer, and to see her elected president is absolutely wonderful! It brings tremendous credit to the impressive strides students and their teachers across Alaska are making in our education career-focused programs.”
Glenda Findlay, Director of K-12 Outreach, which is housed under the University of Alaska Fairbanks' School of Education, stated, “We appreciate being connected to the School of Education, and being given the opportunity to be a part of the solution for generating future educators in our state. It’s so important to have our education support groups working together across Alaska, and networking to help solve the teacher shortage.” Findlay emphasized Torrey’s accomplishment, “Torrey is a product of the education system, and with the support of these entities, she has achieved a huge accomplishment. We can’t wait to see her become a future elementary educator!”
Educators Rising’s mission 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.” Educators Rising Alaska offers programs ranging from after-school clubs to full classes for credit, to help support students in their path to becoming a teacher.
Educators Rising Alaska is one of four programs housed under UAF’s Office of K-12 Outreach, located on the Troth Yeddha' campus. Other programs include the Alaska Statewide Mentor Project, Alaska Teachers and Personnel (previously known as Alaska Teacher Placement), and the Place-based Curriculum Project. For more information about Educators Rising Alaska, please visit its website, or contact Barbara Wadlinger.