Riley Edwards, a junior at Culpeper County High School and a student in the Germanna Future Educators Academy, was honored to participate in Governor Glenn Youngkin’s State of the Commonwealth address on Monday, January 13, 2025. Riley was recognized as a shining example of the promising future for education in Virginia through innovative programs aimed at addressing the teacher shortage.
Governor Youngkin highlighted Riley’s accomplishments during his remarks, stating: “With us today is Riley Edwards, a student at the Future Educators’ Academy Lab School, a partnership between Culpeper, Orange, Madison, and Rappahannock Counties, Germanna Community College, and the University of Mary Washington. After she graduates from the Future Educators Academy next year, Riley will have her associate’s degree in early education at no cost to her. She wants to become an elementary school teacher and then a guidance counselor in Culpeper. Riley, we look forward to you teaching and inspiring our next generation.”
Riley is a part of the first class in the Germanna Future Educators Academy, which launched this school year. The program currently includes six Culpeper County Public Schools students, three from Culpeper County High School and three from Eastern View High School. As part of the Academy, students spend half their day at Germanna’s Daniel Technology Center, taking dual-enrolled classes that fulfill high school requirements while advancing them toward an associate’s degree in education. Upon high school graduation, students will transfer to a four-year university to complete their bachelor’s degree and teacher licensure requirements in just two additional years. Graduates will be guaranteed teaching positions in one of the partner school divisions, with a commitment to teach for at least two years.
This groundbreaking initiative represents a significant step forward in providing educational opportunities for students and fostering innovation within the region. Culpeper County Public Schools is proud to offer this transformative program and looks forward to welcoming its graduates back to the classroom—not as students, but as fully licensed teachers.
Watch the Governor’s address (look for Riley at 17:20): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7-cVQrtf-Q