Educators Rising activities equip TCA students with key teaching skills

April 15, 2026

Lincoln Public Schools students will show people how they plan to teach with purpose and lead with passion in their future classrooms at a national event this summer.
 
Thirteen students at The Career Academy earned trips to the Educators Rising National Conference at the organization’s recent state contest. JoJo Church, Alena Lococo, Payton Jurgensen, Marin Olson, Katie Thomas, Claire Neth, Aubree Lawrey, Molly Hansen, Abigail Manley, Akira Moody, Eli Haake, Nicole Rodriguez Delgado and Layla Johnson captured national bids.
 
Rodriguez Delgado said she was looking forward to expanding her large list of friends who are interested in the teaching profession. The senior will attend the national conference for the first time in June after enjoying state-level success. She and Jurgensen teamed up to finish second in the varsity division of the Researching Learning Challenges contest.
 
“Educators Rising brings a community that we can learn from,” Rodriguez Delgado said. “During these events, there are always breakout sessions, and it is a great way to meet new people and make friendly connections. During the breakout sessions, we learn about ways to differentiate our teaching, how we can incorporate gamification, build connections with students, use technology and encourage physical education.”
 
Jame Cartwright leads early childhood education classes at TCA and advises the focus program’s Educators Rising chapter. She is also an at-large member of the Nebraska Educators Rising Board of Directors. The organization’s goal is to provide more opportunities for high school students to learn about education careers. Their Educators Rising activities equip them with many talents that they will use in their school buildings.
 
Cartwright said it was exciting to watch LPS students excel in their state events. She said the contests promote valuable teaching skills like communication, organization and self-motivation. They also offer chances to build specific knowledge about topics ranging from children’s literature to lesson plan delivery.
 
“The students work really hard on their competition pieces, and it is so rewarding for all of us to see that hard work pay off,” Cartwright said.

Twenty-four students take part in a group photo at the Educators Rising State Leadership Conference. One row of students is kneeling on both knees, the second row is leaning down and the third row is standing up straight. Two students in the front row are holding a large heart that says “We Love Ed Rising” on it. All 24 students are taking education classes at The Career Academy.
 
Lococo experienced the satisfaction of winning a state championship with her work in the varsity Children’s Literature K-3 contest. The senior decided to create a book about her experiences growing up with autism. She wanted to inspire other students by discussing her childhood in a relatable storyline.
 
“I wrote the book to help educate children on autism in a way that’s a bit easier to understand,” Lococo said. “I narrated the story with the thought process of myself when I was a child. I am really looking forward to competing and seeing other people’s books and competitions.”
 
Rodriguez Delgado and Jurgensen focused their Researching Learning Challenges entry on helping students who are either deaf or hard of hearing. They wrote a paper and created a PowerPoint presentation before speaking with judges. Rodriguez Delgado said the preparation and public speaking phases of the contest taught her what it will be like leading her own classroom one day.
 
“It was exciting to do this with a friend, and I felt particularly confident with my information,” Rodriguez Delgado said. “We had brought flashcards with our information, but it was easy to build a more conversational tone than to follow a set of words.”
 
Rodriguez Delgado said participating in competitive events will also help her become a stronger candidate for education positions. Educators Rising students learn how to prepare for job interviews, create teaching materials and network with current professionals. These workplace skills give them a professional edge that can make a difference in the hiring process.
 
“It is important to show the judges that you know what you’re talking about by referencing something from your portfolio, building on your answers and asking questions,” Rodriguez Delgado said.
 
The TCA delegation will rely on that expertise in Portland, Ore. Multiple TCA students have taken part in more than one state conference, and Jurgensen, Neth, Lawrey and Hansen have all appeared at nationals before. Cartwright said the four veterans had been role models for their classmates by showcasing good leadership skills in their activities.

From left, The Career Academy students Claire Neth, Molly Hansen and Aubree Lawrey smile with their awards at the Educators Rising State Leadership Conference. The trio will join ten other TCA students at the Educators Rising National Conference this summer. All three are holding ribbons they earned in their state contest, and Claire and Aubree are wearing lanyards and badges from the conference.
 
“Once they understand what it takes and that the nationals trip is something they want to go on again, they are pretty motivated to do well,” Cartwright said.
 
Lococo said her Educators Rising experiences had encouraged her to enter the teaching pipeline. She felt all LPS students would benefit from the life skills that the organization provides throughout the year.
 
“I enjoy being able to make connections with people from other schools, especially when they’re in the same competition that I am,” Lococo said.

2026 TCA State Educators Rising Results

Education and Training Achievement Awards: Madison Arriola, Molly Hansen, Aubree Lawrey, Payton Jurgensen, Nicole Rodriguez Delgado, Claire Neth
Varsity Interactive Bulletin Board – Elementary: JoJo Church (Blue Ribbon)
Varsity Children’s Literature K-3: Alena Lococo (1st), Payton Jurgensen (3rd)
Varsity Children’s Literature Pre-K: Marin Olson and Katie Thomas (tied 2nd)
Varsity Ethical Dilemma: Izabella Clark, Natalie Mullin, Alexis Onstott, Jayson Thode (7th)
Varsity Inside our Schools: Claire Neth, Aubree Lawrey, Molly Hansen (2nd)
Varsity Job Interview: Abigail Manley (10th)
Varsity Lesson Planning and Delivery – Career and Technical Education: Akira Moody (2nd)
Varsity Lesson Planning and Delivery – Science, Technology, Engineering, Math: Eli Haake (2nd)
Varsity Public Service Announcement – Teacher Recruitment: JoJo Church, Marin Olson, Katie Thomas (2nd)
Varsity Researching Learning Challenges: Payton Jurgensen and Nicole Rodriguez Delgado (2nd); Layla Johnson and Abigail Manley (4th)
 
Prepare for your future with Lincoln Public Schools. Explore our Career and Technical Education student organizations and discover how to get involved.
 
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Published: April 15, 2026, Updated: April 15, 2026

Twenty-four

The Career Academy students smile while taking a group photo at the Educators Rising State Leadership Conference. Thirteen students will showcase their teaching talents at the Educators Rising National Conference this summer. They earned trips to nationals after doing well in their state events.