Clara Cockburn, a resident of Sheldon, has been recognized among the 2023 Missouri Teacher Leaders of Tomorrow by the Missouri Milken Educators. The program was created in 2022 by the Missouri Milken Educators, in partnership with WGU Missouri, to recognize new and future teachers who are standouts in their profession. Cockburn is one of 10 teachers across the state – all of whom recently graduated from institutions across Missouri – to receive the Missouri Teacher Leaders of Tomorrow designation this year.
All Missouri Teacher Leaders of Tomorrow inductees will receive the benefits of one-on-one mentorship from Missouri Milken Leaders, who were all previously recognized by the Milken Family Foundation with the National Milken Educator Award for their impressive achievements. Honorees will have a year of coaching and mentorship and will be able to access the full network of the Missouri Milken Educators. The network serves as a rich resource for fellow educators dedicated to excellence in education. Cockburn and the other honorees learned they were selected for the designation in May.
Cockburn has a growing heart for education and has taken on different roles in public and private schools while pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from WGU Missouri. Her journey to becoming a teacher began four years ago when she earned an associate degree and was hired as a paraprofessional in early childhood special education by a local school district. Having been homeschooled and not experiencing the traditional K-12 classroom setting, she wanted to gain that experience before committing to earning a bachelor’s degree in education. She found out right away that becoming a teacher would be the right path for her, and in the summer of 2020, she enrolled at WGU Missouri. She chose WGU because her coworker – who had been pursuing her degree at WGU while working fulltime and serving as a foster parent – had recommended the university.
Cockburn was able to take advantage of the WGU’s competency-based model, which allowed her to work at her own pace and on her own schedule, and was able to move quickly through her courses, graduating in 2.5 years. During her time at WGU, Cockburn served as an aide at a private school for a kindergarten student she had worked with at her previous job and was also able to gain valuable classroom experience working under the kindergarten teacher. After the school year ended, she went back to working in early childhood education and continued to work toward completing her degree. She recently completed student teaching in the Sheldon R-VIII School District and was hired as a 5th grade paraprofessional at Sheldon Elementary School for the remainder of the school year. Cockburn, who is expecting her first child this summer, now has her degree and plans on taking a year off to spend with her baby before pursuing a full-time teaching career in 2024.
Cockburn is one of two recent WGU grads named to this year’s Missouri Teacher Leaders of Tomorrow class of 10 honorees. All recipients were selected for the honor by their respective university and Missouri Milken Educators because they stand out as examples of what’s right in the education profession. This year’s honorees recently graduated with their undergraduate degrees in education and completed student teaching in a Missouri school district during the 2022-2023 school year. Ten new teachers are recognized every year.
“We are honored to partner with Missouri’s Milken Educators and recognize recent grads from our Teachers College who have worked so hard to complete their degrees and stand out as amazing teacher leaders of tomorrow,” said Dr. Terrance Hopson, Regional Vice President, of WGU Missouri. “Clara demonstrated great commitment to education and student success during her time studying at WGU and throughout her student teaching. We know she will be an excellent teacher and will help her students reach their full potential. We feel privileged to count her among our WGU alumni community.”
About WGU Missouri
WGU Missouri is a competency-based, online university created to expand access to higher education for Missouri residents. The university offers more than 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. WGU Missouri faculty members serve as mentors, working one-on-one with students, offering guidance, support, and individualized instruction.
Established in 2013 through a partnership with nationally recognized Western Governors University, WGU Missouri is open to all qualified Missouri residents. The university is nonprofit and self-sustaining on flat-rate tuition of about $7,600 per year for most programs.
Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Nursing College programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE*), and the Health Informatics program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).
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For more information, contact:
Merisa Ashbaugh
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