Meet Your 2024-2025 State Officers
Ashlynn Johnson, President
Hi, my name is Ashlynn Johnson. I am 17 years old and a senior at Marion C. Moore High School in Jefferson County. I am part of the Beta club for my school and enjoy helping others in any way I can. I enjoy reading, listening to music, and hanging out with my pets. I can’t wait to serve as a state officer and I am looking forward to all the new opportunities it will provide!
Hunter Carr, President-Elect
Hello, my name is Hunter Carr! I am a Junior at Graves County High School, where I am a member of DECA, Speech and Debate, Empower, and, of course, Educators Rising. I am a member of the Mayfield-Graves County Agency for Substance Abuse Policy Youth Council, and I am also a member of New Harmony Missionary Baptist Church. After High School, I aspire to get a degree in Elementary Education and teach Kindergarten or First Grade. I am super excited to serve as President-Elect for Educators Rising Kentucky!
McKinley Heard, Director of Outreach and Service
Hello, my name is McKinley Heard or you can call me Mac. I am a junior at South Warren High School. My group and I placed first in state (Varsity) Inside Our Schools and placed at Educators Rising Nationals. I will be serving as Director of Outreach/Service and cannot wait to see what it has in store for me. I am a two-year member of the Young Male Leadership Academy at Western Kentucky University and I love to travel and spend time with family.
Lily Russell, Director of Communications
Hi, I’m Lily Russell and I’m 16 years old with a big passion for teaching! I attend Ignite Institute and love being involved in Educators Rising. My favorite subjects are English and history, and I can’t wait to become a teacher in the future! I’ve gained a lot of experience working with kids through my job as a swim coach at Silverlake Family Place, as well as babysitting and providing childcare for local churches. These experiences have helped me build leadership, patience, and communication skills. Things I know will be important in the classroom. I’m excited to keep learning and growing as an educator so I can make a real difference for my future students!
Aubree Stamper, Co-Director of Membership
Hello, I am Aubree Stamper and I am so excited to be your Co-Director of Membership for this 24’-25’ school year! This will be my second year as a member of Educator’s Rising, this past year I placed first in JV Lesson Plan – Humanities. I am also the VP of Peer Education in FCCLA, and active member in DECA. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, cheering for the Graves County All-Girl Cheer team, and being involved in my youth group at church. At church, I volunteer as a team leader for Vacation Bible School and am a teen leader in our community service camp.
Philena Ash, Co-Director of Membership
My name is Philena Ash, I’m 17 and a senior at Bullitt Central High School. I have been a member of Educators Rising for three years and officer for two. I am the Co-Director of Membership for Region 4 for Kentucky. One thing about me is I love the environment and the outdoors. I am part of many things in my school and community and always try to encourage others to do so, as well. I’m so excited to see what this year brings!
Interested in serving on our 2025-2026 Leadership Team?
The Application Packet for new officers will be posted April 15. Qualifications to be a state officer are:
- An active member of Educators Rising in good standing with the national organization.
- One year active membership in Educators Rising or another career technical student organization such as FFA or DECA.
- A minimum GPA of 2.5.
- A recommendation from a teacher leader.
- Commitment to attend state leadership training, monthly state officer meetings (dates to be determined, held virtually), and the state and national conference.
- Approval from a school administrator.
- Approval of parent or guardian.
