I am Gabby Kangume, the Massachusetts State President of Educators Rising for the 2026–2027 school year. I am a proud graduate of Minuteman High School, where I studied Early Education and Teaching, and I am currently a college freshman pursuing a bachelor's in Special Education at Bridgewater State University. 

I have been an active member of Educators Rising since November 2024. Prior to serving as State President, I served as the 2025–2026 State Vice President, Delegate, and National Senator, where I represented Massachusetts across the state and country. One of my most memorable experiences was helping organize and participating in the 2026 Massachusetts State Conference.

I’ve worked with kids of all ages, from infants to Pre-K, but Pre-K students are definitely my favorite age group to work with. I’m passionate about creating supportive, welcoming spaces where every child feels included and excited to learn.

As the State President, my mission is to expand Educators Rising across Massachusetts by welcoming more schools, growing local chapters, increasing student engagement, and inspiring the next generation of educators through leadership, service, and advocacy. I hope to help establish Educators Rising collegiate chapters at colleges and universities across Massachusetts and welcome those chapters to participate in the Massachusetts State Conference for the first time. Outside of Educators Rising, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, listening to music, and traveling.

I am very excited to take on the role of Vice President of Communication for my final year of high school!

Teaching and education are something I am very passionate about. I realized teaching was my calling because my teachers saw me for who I was and didn't label me as a bad kid when I was struggling to adjust to a new city. Ever since I was little, I have always loved supporting and making an impact on others' lives, and teaching gives me the opportunity to do just that. I have worked in classrooms as a teacher's assistant, taken up leadership opportunities in extracurriculars, and mentored freshmen through their first year of high school. 

As Vice President of Communications, I want to continue growing Educators Rising in the state of Massachusetts and also continue the goal of Educators Rising, to inspire students to become future educators while providing opportunities to support those future educators. With Massachusetts being a state that has done a tremendous job at providing students with quality education, I want to continue that trend, and that starts with helping students discover they want to be educators and providing them with pathways to become educators.

Outside of Educators Rising, I am very passionate about music. I have been playing the drums since 7th grade and also play instruments like the trombone and the vibraphone.  I am the president of my schools Tri-M Music Honors Society, an organization that highlights excellence in music performance, community service,  and academics. I currently serve as the assistant drum major and drumline captain for my schools marching band. I also helped lead my schools indoor drumline to our 2nd appearance as a finalist at the 2026 WGI Percussion World Championships in Dayton, Ohio. After high school, I plan on majoring in music education and plan on becoming a band director to continue my love and passion for both education and music

I am thrilled to be the Vice President of Engagement for Massachusetts for the 2026-2027 school year. 

Teaching is one of my favorite things to do; I truly enjoy seeing children grow and learn. One of the many things that inspired me to become an educator was my experiences with teachers. I had some positive role models that I strive to be like in my teaching. Though I did have some negative experiences with teachers who were uneducated about many learning differences, those experiences also inspire me to make my teaching style more accommodating to different students.

Even though I am currently a junior, I have a lot planned for my future. After graduating from high school, I hope to attend Salem State University to earn my master's degree in social work. In my future, I hope to be working with children who have behavioral or special needs. However, I have many jobs I would consider after college. I have always enjoyed supporting those around me who need it.

As the Vice President of Engagement, my goal is to help the organization grow and to make more young educators and teachers aware of the opportunities that we offer. I am excited to be involved in an organization that I respect so much. My overall goal for the year is to help young educators feel comfortable enough to put themselves out there by competing in a competition or by sharing their experiences and knowledge in a presentation.

Outside of being a part of Educators Rising I enjoy anything art related. Sketching is my favorite. I have had one of my paintings displayed in a gallery before. I enjoy teaching with art. I love seeing the children excited to display their artwork on the classroom walls.

My name is Grace, I am a senior in high school, and I am a student leader for Massachusetts Educators Rising. I am so excited to work with the other student leaders for the 2026-2027 school year! I have always loved working with kids, and from a very young age I've found passion in doing so. Currently, I work with elementary-aged students from kindergarten to fifth grade. I also work as a camp counselor. In the future, I would love to continue to work with elementary school students. After high school, I hope to major in elementary education or special education to become a teacher. I would like my classroom to feel safe, and for every student to feel appreciated and respected. I hope to become just like my former elementary school teachers, who I still look up to dearly. Although I have only been in Educators Rising for a short period of time, I hope to learn more about the program and further participate in conferences for Ed Rising. I have attended the Massachusetts state conference and plan to attend many more as the school year goes on.

As state vice president of service, I hope to learn and grow through my colleagues, while also helping others. Additionally, I'm hoping to help Educators Rising welcome more people into the program and expand membership to those who would benefit from it. I would like to encourage those who are interested in the message of Ed Rising to join. For the 2026-2027 school year, I hope to plan some volunteer and service work that could benefit educators. I hope to make a difference for future educators and help them on their journey to becoming educators. I am excited to help serve the community and make a lasting impact in Educators Rising.