This year’s national conference was in Orlando, Florida, and Smyrna High students won big. (Photo courtesy of Educators Rising)
Smyrna High School shined in the Educators Rising National Conference in Orlando, Florida as 11 individuals or teams of the school earned top 10 finishes in competitions.
Delaware had 18 individuals or teams total that landed in the top 10 of events.
Throughout the four-day conference, which ended July 2, students engaged in professional and personal development opportunities, networking and competitive events.
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The competitions are performance-based events in which aspiring educators demonstrate their knowledge, skills and leadership in education.
Delaware Teacher Academy students and advisors from across the state attended the conference, and the state was represented by students from Appoquinimink High School, Concord High School, Cape Henlopen High School, Sussex Central High School, Laurel High School, Howard High School of Technology, McKean High School, Seaford High School, Smyrna High School and Delaware Technical Community College.
Here are the Delaware winners of the junior varsity division competitions:
- Mekenzie Square-Ward of Smyrna High School finished first place in the job interview competition.
- Alexandra Passero of Smyrna High School finished first place in the exploring non-core teaching careers competition.
- Brianna Kalb of Smyrna High School finished fourth place in the exploring student support services competition.
- Malika Opelogo of Concord High School finished fourth place in the creative lecture (TEDTalk) competition.
Delaware winners in the varsity division competitions are:
- Gala Meseguer-Molina of Laurel High School finished first place in the children’s literature – Spanish competition.
- Madison Retzlaff of Smyrna High School finished second place in the exploring education administration careers competition.
- Hailey Ennis of Smyrna High School finished second place in the exploring student support service careers competition.
- Allexi Steele of Smyrna High School finished third place in the creative lecture (TEDTalk) competition.
- Taylor Colman of Smyrna High School finished third place in the educators rising moment competition.
- Emma Kate Reist of Cape Henlopen High School finished third place in the exploring student support service careers competition.
- Zachary Naar of Cape Henlopen High School finished fourth place in the exploring non-core teaching careers competition.
- Olivia Marzullo of Sussex Central High School finished fourth place in the job interview competition.
- Marlayna Pennington of Smyrna High School finished fifth place in the job interview competition.
- Abigail Long of Smyrna High School finished sixth place in the impromptu speaking competition.
- Leah Bonsignore of Smyrna High School finished sixth place in the public speaking competition.
- Madison Williams, Elizabeth Nix and Madison Retzlaff of Smyrna High School finished sixth place in the “Inside Our Schools” competition.
- Faith Givens, Caroline Ricketts and Jessica Marie Price of Laurel High School finished eighth place in the ethical dilemma competition.
Victoria Henry and Celina Lombardi of Delaware Technical Community College also finished first place in the children’s literature competition in the collegiate division.
Seaford High School’s Taylor Jenkins was elected as the national vice president of service, becoming the third student in Delaware to be elected as a national officer with Educators Rising.
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 [email protected] or by phone at (215) 450-9982. Follow him on Twitter @jarekrutz
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