Meet Our State Officers
Educators Rising State Officers hold a one-year term and are responsible for promoting the organization’s mission and vision in cultivating the new generation of educators. They plan and teach workshops, present at the state conference, and promote Educators Rising activities across the state.
Westminster High School
Layla Ridgway
Layla Ridgway is a junior at Westminster High school and is dually enrolled at Carroll Community College. She participates in many extracurricular activities including national honors society, math honors society, book club, educators rising and GSA. She wants to be a middle school math teacher and plans to major in middle school education or mathematics.
Western School of Technology
Ololade Lawrence
Ololade joined Educators Rising to learn more about leadership and teaching others. She hopes to major in a STEM field in college. She is very interested in public health education.
Marriotts Ridge High School
Will Fullerton
Will has been a member of Ed Rising since 2021 and attended the Ed Rising national conference in 2022. Will is also a member of the LGBQIA+ advisory committee for Howard County Public Schools, which helps plan student events and makes sure that all students are supported. Along with Educators Rising, Will is involved in many school organizations such as theatre, band, and field hockey.
Maryland State Officer
Madison Gaynor
Madison has been involved with the Educators Rising organization for 6 years, and has placed in the Ethical Dilemma competition two years consecutively (2023- 2nd place, 2024- 1st place). Madison is continuing her passion for teaching in the fall of 2024, where she will attend the University of Miami, and majoring in Elementary Education/Exceptional Students.
Clarksburg High School
Maggie McTimoney
Maggie started the Educators Rising club at Clarksburg and has been the President ever since. She competed in the Research Learning Challenges competition and placed 1st in the State and 7th in the Nation. Next year, she plans on attending a four-year college and double majoring in Elementary Education and Special Education.
Clarksburg High School
Divine Nseliema
Divine is in her second year with Educators’ Rising and is a part of the fundraising team for the Maryland chapter. She has competed in the ethical dilemma and children literature competition and placed in the top 5 in Maryland. She is currently the Vice President at the Clarksburg High School chapter. She plans on becoming a Pediatric Occupational Therapist once she graduates high school.
Clarksburg High School
Dana Tran
Dana is in her second year with Educators’ Rising and is the secretary for the Maryland chapter. She competed in the ethical dilemma competition and placed 1st for the state of MD. She will be going to UMD and majoring in early education and EC special education.
Maryland State officer
Sarah Hill
Sarah has been involved with Ed Rising for 3 years. She is going to major in History and minor in Educational studies. She then hopes to get her MAT in order to become a teacher.
Westminster High School
Cheyenne Pickett
Cheyenne is in her second year in Ed Rising and her first year of being a state officer. She has competed in the children’s literature competition twice and had a great experience with them. She hasn't decided on a college yet but is looking forward to see what this year brings.
