On June 20 through June 23, 2026, eighteen students from Smithfield-Selma High School's JoCo TEACH program represented Johnston County and North Carolina with distinction at the Educators Rising National Conference in Portland, Oregon. With the guidance from their faculty advisor, Suzanne Sweat, these students competed against more than 2,000 of the nation's top aspiring educators.
Throughout the school year, JoCo TEACH students dedicate countless hours preparing for competition by researching educational best practices, designing classroom materials, writing detailed lesson plans, creating instructional resources, memorizing speeches, and practicing responses to challenging questions from judges. Their work reflects the skills and professionalism expected of future educators while demonstrating creativity, confidence, and a passion for teaching.
After months of preparation, the students showcased their talents in a variety of competitive events, earning several national honors.
National award recipients included:
Ella Mercier – 3rd Place, Lesson Planning and Delivery – Arts
Madalyn Pate – White Ribbon, Teacher Created Materials
Josie McDonald – 4th Place, Exploring Administrative Careers
Chloe Sullivan – 4th Place, Lesson Planning and Delivery – Early Childhood
Karah Bullard and Claudia Aban – 5th place, Outstanding Chapter
Ariiyana Yarborough and Leslie Mata – Top 10, Pre-K Spanish Literature
Tianna Harding and Heisel Morales – Top 10, Children's Literature (Grades K–3)
Every student who competed demonstrated tremendous dedication, perseverance, and professionalism throughout the year. Preparing for national competition requires months of planning, revisions, practice presentations, mock interviews, and continuous feedback from teachers and peers.