Arkansas Tech University students Katie Hovis and Joy Skaggs won a national competition in ethics at the 2025 Educators Rising National Conference in Orlando, Fla., during the final week of June.
According to information provided by the organization, Educators Rising is “a career and technical education movement that aims to inspire high school and college students to serve their communities by entering the field of education.”
Hovis and Skaggs, both of whom are Russellville High School graduates, are pursuing their bachelor’s degrees at Arkansas Tech and are active in the ATU chapter of Educators Rising.
For their national competition, Hovis and Skaggs were asked to propose a solution to an ethical dilemma detailed in a hypothetical scenario in which a teacher is offered a gift and an invitation to a party from the parents of a former student the teacher assisted in achieving success.
“I believe our solution stood out for its accommodation for a wide range of possibilities,” said Skaggs. “In education, there aren’t particular rules that prevent teachers from receiving gifts or attending parties, so we emphasized how teachers must maintain their impartiality and reputation in the classroom.”
When asked what she thought distinguished the ATU team’s solution, Hovis attributed their success to “how thorough and concise we were in our preparation.”
Hovis knew from an early age that teaching was the path she wanted to pursue.
“My elementary school teachers inspired my love for learning and my younger sister gave me plenty of opportunities to practice teaching,” said Hovis.
For Skaggs, the decision to become a teacher was rooted in her desire to help others.
“I love teaching students and helping them build skills,” said Skaggs. “Teaching is all about helping, which is why I am so passionate about it. My particular area I want to teach is math and physics, especially because those can be really complex and I enjoy a good challenge.”
Both award-winning Arkansas Tech students agreed that the faculty and staff in the ATU College of Education and Health have been essential in their overall success in college.
“The professors and staff within the education department are very knowledgeable and encouraging,” said Hovis. “I know that if I ever need help with my coursework or scheduling, I can go to Crabaugh Hall and find the support I need.”
As they prepare to begin another academic year at Arkansas Tech, Hovis and Skaggs will soon be reunited with their fellow Educators Rising members on campus. They are certain their organization will continue to benefit its members and the larger cause of education in Arkansas.
“The Educators Rising program allows our college students to get experience working with younger kids and community service,” said Skaggs. “Ed Rising also provides a lot of support for me. Ed Rising has helped me get involved with the younger students I would be teaching, such as through the GEAR UP Adventure Camp I helped with and with a partner fundraiser with the Russellville Middle School for NovaStar Rescue. We’ve also had some workshops over teaching laws and the Praxis that helped me with understanding the more legal side of a teaching career.”
“Educators Rising has given me extra support from others pursuing education,” said Hovis. “This organization and competition allowed me to gain a greater insight into education from former and current teachers. It has also helped me improve important communication skills that I will use in my classroom in the future.”
Learn more about the ATU College of Education and Health at www.atu.edu/ceh.
