Mason Lyerla
President
Cobden High School
Mason Presley Lyerla is a senior at Cobden high school, where he pursued almost every club under the sun. He is super excited to be in his second year with an officer position for Ed rising and wants to do the best he can. He hopes that everyone is excited to become a teacher and realizes how big of a step and selfless it is of them to pursue a career education.
Hannah Schieler
Vice President
Normal Community High School
Hannah Schieler is a student at Normal Community High School who is thrilled about becoming a teacher. Ever since she was young, Hannah has wanted to work with children and make a difference in their lives. She believes that teachers have a huge impact on students, not just in the classroom but in their personal lives as well. That is why she wants to help children, grow, learn and reach their full potential. Hannah is someone who cares a lot about others, enjoys baking goods for others and helping them wherever she can. She looks forward to being a teacher who students can go to when feeling down, count on to be there for them and lean on her for comfort. Her goal is to create a classroom environment where kids can feel safe, loved and excited to learn and grow. At Normal Community High School, she is taking steps towards her dream. She interns at elementary schools in the morning during the school year, works in her school’s pre-school program, and works in her church nursery on Sundays. She knows that being a teacher is not always an easy job, but she is excited to take on the challenge and accomplish her goals. When Hannah got accepted into Educators Rising she knew it would create a major impact in her journey. She is so excited to meet new people who share the love for educating with her, make new connections and grow as future educators together. She is so excited to see all of the new opportunities that come her way through Educators Rising and see where she can go!
Maria Champagna
Recording Secretary
Coal City High School
Maria is a senior at Coal City High School and is on a journey to find a 4-year university to pursue a major in Deaf Education! Currently, Maria serves as the Recording Secretary for Educators Rising Illinois for the 2025-2026 year. She loves music, Netflix, volleyball, and ASL. Her favorite artist is SZA, and current favorite show is Squid Game. Spending quality time with family and friends, helping others, and making an impact are also part of her goals! Maria chose to become a state officer because she believes in advocating for aspiring educators, as teaching is a connection and a career that deserves more recognition! She is very excited to meet many new people, spread Educators Rising across Illinois, and bring her devotion to help accomplish our goals! Maria hopes to see you all on April 9th, 2026, at the annual conference!
Sophia Landers
Public Relations Secretary
Wauconda High School
Sophia is a senior at Wauconda High School. She is the 2025-2026 Public Relations Secretary for Educator’s Rising. She joined Educator’s Rising since it started in her school, and has been interested in teaching since 8th grade. Sophia loves anything related to art. From designing posters to editing videos, Sophia loves anything creative. She decided to become a state officer because she believes teachers are under appreciated and help youth become the best versions of themselves! She is interested in teaching English and looks forward to the conference in April!