Future Teachers Celebrated at Civic Memorial's Signing Ceremony

BETHALTO - Bethalto’s future teachers were honored at the annual Educators Rising signing ceremony at Civic Memorial High School.

On Tuesday, May 6, 2025, this ceremony recognized the graduating students who have committed to studying education in college. Angie Neilson, who oversees the Education Pathway program at Civic Memorial, explained that the seniors have had the opportunity to shadow Bethalto teachers and engage with younger students, and she is incredibly proud of them.

“I could teach them out of a textbook, which I do a little bit of that, but they push out into class and they’re teaching lessons and they’re out at recess and they’re helping during lunch, because that’s where they fall in love with it,” Neilson explained. “This was our biggest class of future teachers, so we thought about doing a signing to recognize them, because the hope is that they do come back here and teach.”

The honored students included Elliana Fiorino, who plans to go into Family and Consumer Sciences education; Gilly Gross, who will go into early childhood education; Jayna Halley, who is deciding between secondary math and physical education; Avery Huddleston, who plans to study special education; Kyleigh Lowrance, who will go into elementary education; Tyler Mills, who will study intermediate/middle school education; Camryn Neilson, who wants to pursue art/English education; Marissa Perez, who is eyeing special education; and Joie Sappington, who will pursue special education.

Huddleston, Lowrance, Perez and Sappington were also honored with the Golden Apple Scholarship, which is a $23,000 scholarship for future educators in the State of Illinois. Neilson noted that every Bethalto student who applied for the scholarship received it this year.

Civic Memorial’s Education Pathway program requires students to complete 60 work hours of observation and teaching in a classroom setting. Neilson collaborates with teachers within the Bethalto School District to allow her students to shadow them.

Students also must complete two team-based challenges, pass the dual-credit American Education course through Lewis and Clark Community College, complete four community service projects working with children, and serve as an active member of the Educators Rising group.

Neilson works hard to orchestrate these opportunities for her students. She even allowed the three students who plan to go into special education to sit in on her own child’s individualized education plan meeting. Superintendent Dr. Jill Griffin and Civic Memorial Principal Justin Newell credited Neilson for the Education Pathway program’s success.

“I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge where this fire has been lit, and that’s this lady right here,” Griffin said of Neilson. “It’s a testament to Angie and the work that she does with our kids. Our program is unique in that our kids are out in our schools all the time. Our teachers embrace this program at every level. They welcome them into their classrooms.”

Newell added that he hopes to welcome back the “phenomenal” graduating students as colleagues in the near future.

Neilson expressed her gratitude for the Bethalto teachers and administrators who have collaborated with her. She believes Bethalto is “an incredibly supportive district,” and she hopes many of the future teachers who signed on May 6 will return to teach in the district.

She added that the Educators Rising signing ceremony was especially emotional this year because one of the honorees was her daughter, Camryn, and she has watched this class of seniors grow up over the years. She knows they will go on to do great work in the education field.

“I just love being a teacher. I would make everybody a teacher if I could,” Neilson added. “To see them embrace it and love it, that’s amazing. It’s been a great program for sure.”

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