By Brenda Ortega
MEA Voice Editor

High school senior Rebecca Cox will soon graduate from a class of 30 students in her small Lenawee County school district, but last week she spoke before hundreds of statewide peers gathered in Detroit for the MEA-sponsored Educators Rising Michigan conference.

“What up doe!” she began, invoking the iconic Detroit greeting to underline the theme of her speech that helped to close out the conference held on the campus of Wayne State University.

The Educators Rising Michigan conference has become near and dear to her heart, Cox said. Last year, after winning a competitive state title at Ed Rising, she accepted an invitation to serve as a Michigan delegate to the national conference.

The aspiring art teacher competed last June at the national Educators Rising conference in Orlando, and last week she again won a state title to qualify for this year’s national competition in Portland, Ore.

Coming from a rural area surrounded by cornfields, Cox told the crowd, “I chose to say ‘Yes’ to an opportunity that was given to me a year ago — an opportunity that has led me to meet new people and have new experiences.

“This role has changed my life, and it can yours too.”

Cox was appealing to students among the middle and high schoolers interested in education careers to apply to join a new Student Advisory Board that MEA is forming to further develop conference and leadership activities. Learn more about the board and how to apply.

“If you’re willing to make an impact on future students’ lives, you should be willing to make an impact on future teachers’ lives as well,” she said.

That sentiment is the philosophy behind the Educators Rising Michigan conference, now in its third year, says MEA Organizer Annette Christiansen, who developed a partnership with the national non-profit and leads the Ed Rising state affiliate in Michigan.

The goal is for students considering classroom careers to feel valued and empowered, said Christiansen, whose work also includes Aspiring Educators of Michigan (AEM) and Michigan New Educators (MiNE) supporting educators through college and early career.

The state Ed Rising conference offers middle and high school students learning sessions taught by professionals and advocates on topics such as building relationships with students, coping with stress, choosing a college, and civic engagement.

The conference is planned with the help of a committee of teachers from area career and technical programs, MEA staff, and partners in the College of Education at Wayne State.

Among session presenters was MEA member Matt Hamilton from East Jordan schools, named the NEA Foundation Teacher of the Year in 2025, who spoke about his innovative Shoe Club program — now expanding as a non-profit called Shoe Club Nation.

Serving as keynote speaker was Jessica Care Moore, an award-winning poet, recording artist, publisher, activist, curator and filmmaker.

Christiansen said, “When participants look around and see adults who believe in them and the profession, we hope they’ll realize that we can all work together to ensure public education is strong and excellent for both students and educators.”

In addition, students at the conference can compete in various presentation and teaching categories, including public speaking, interactive bulletin boards, children’s literature, lesson planning, and more — all judged by volunteer professionals and retirees.

This year, the number of students competing nearly doubled to 243 compared to 128 in 2025. More than 500 students attended the conference.

Madison Hatcher, a high school junior in the Teacher Cadet program in the Taylor School District, took a first-place award in the children’s literature category for the picture book she wrote, illustrated and presented before judges — Atlas Finds her Calm.

The story focuses on emotional awareness and regulation strategies, a topic she has also explored in the business club she belongs to at school, she said. Hatcher is thinking of becoming a teacher and currently works part-time in a latchkey program at a Montessori school.

A previous job in retail left her stressed at the end of a shift, she said. “I don’t get that feeling of being drained when I come home from working with kids. My thought is I want to work more with these kids; I wish I was with them all day. That’s definitely a big motivator for me.”

Hatcher’s teacher, Heather Roberts, said this was her third and final year of bringing students to Ed Rising — she is retiring after 30 years of teaching every grade from preschool to high school, knowing she “helped a lot of people.”

Roberts loves the Ed Rising conference, because it exposes students to a larger world and professional community that helps them feel a sense of belonging and excitement, she said. “I love it because it really motivates kids to go to college and become a teacher.”

The day concluded with speaker and awards presenter Corey Rosser, the 2025-26 Michigan Teacher of the Year, encouraging the aspiring educators to strive for greatness despite challenges.

In a moving speech, the 22-year teacher at Quest Alternative High School in Genesee County’s North Branch Area School District explained he works with young people who are behind in credits to graduate.

“The one commonality is they all have obstacles in front of them every single day that keep them from being successful in a traditional classroom,” he said.

Rosser became emotional sharing the story of a former student who was off track and told via email he would not graduate on time. The student replied that he planned to drop out — then blamed Rosser, calling him the worst teacher and advising him to quit.

“It hurt — a lot,” Rosser said.

Six months later, the student asked for another chance, and Rosser hesitated. “Honestly, there were parts of me that wanted to make him feel the way I felt, but I didn’t. I just extended my hand and said, ‘Welcome back. Let’s do it right this time.’”

After graduating, the student returned. “He came back a couple of years ago, introduced his wife to me, introduced his son. He has a great career in the trades, and he spoke to my class about taking advantage of every opportunity at Quest High School.”

Educators don’t have to be perfect to be great, Rosser said. What it takes is striving to be better every day in every decision you make.

When you fail, don’t point the finger of blame, he advised. Learn, adapt, and improve. “You’re not going into teaching because it’s easy,” he concluded. “You’re going into teaching because within you lives the ability to change lives.”