Educators Rising national officers Ivy Smith (National Student President), Solomon Moore (National Vice President of Engagement), Isabella Carneiro (National Vice President of Service), and Liberty McCloskey (National Vice President of Communications) sit down with Jeanie Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Educators Rising, for a candid conversation about what it looks like to be a student inside the system adults design. They cover why life skills shouldn’t be electives, how CTE gave them a credential and a backup plan, where student voice becomes influence, and the mentors who saw something in them first. Stay for the lightning round, where one of them refuses to ban phones in our public schools.

Key Takeaways

• Relevance drives engagement. Students want a clear line from what they’re learning to how they’ll live and work.
• CTE is a credential, a confidence builder, and a backup plan. Students see its value before many adults do.
• Hearing isn’t influence. Student councils and advisory roles only matter if decisions actually change.
• Belonging and mentorship recur in every story. Each officer traces their path to an adult, or a first grader, who noticed them.
• Access to higher ed starts before senior year, and peer mentors make the path feel attainable, not just available.

Interested in starting a chapter in your school? Visit our website, educatorsrising.org to learn more about how to establish a chapter and start cultivating the next generation of education leaders within your own community.