After making it to nationals in Texas Association Of Future Educators in the Exploring Support Services Careers state level category, junior Ellee Wade dreams big about her bright future to come.  

This summer, June 29th through July 2nd, she will represent our school at the national Educators Rising Conference in Orlando, Florida. This performance based event gives future educators a place to demonstrate their knowledge of teaching. 

“I’m very excited for Amarillo High to have a national qualifier; Ellee is the first student ever from Amarillo high to qualify for nationals for this event,” Intro to practicum of education and training Teacher Jennifer Wade said. 

In preparation for this competition, Ellee shadowed the ACC (Adaptive Curriculum Class) teacher at our school. Not only did this give her more insight on what working as a teacher is really like, but it also gave her a chance to see what she might want to do in the future. 

“I want to work with kids with different intellectual disabilities and I’m not sure if that’s teaching or if that’s going into being some sort of therapist but it’s a step in learning,” Ellee Wade said. 

  After shadowing the ACC teacher, she put together a speech and slide show about adaptive curriculum to later give to a set of judges. In this presentation she discussed what it takes to become a ACC teacher. This included both the challenges and triumphs of going into this type of career and the importance of the job. 

“You have to score in the top 5% of people in your competition and this is the top 5% from every area in Texas,” Ellee Wade said. “There will be a winner at Nationals but at area and state you just need to score high enough to qualify for the next round.”

Ellee did amazing at this competition but her why is more important than her win. Her value of inclusion led her to this competition. She wants to invoke change in people who often overlook and exclude people with disabilities. She also hopes that she can bring more awareness to children and adults with different disabilities that are often unheard.

 ¨Everyone belongs somewhere and that’s why I was good at this competition, because it’s more than a competition for me,” Ellee Wade said. ¨It’s a chance to share the importance of inclusion not only in classrooms but in the world.”