Aspiring Educators
We are the present. We are the future.
The MNEA Aspiring Educators Program, an affiliate of the NEA Aspiring Educators program, is the leading voice for the next generation of educators. Over 50,000 members in 1,100 college campus chapters across the nation belong to the program, which began as the Student National Education Association in 1937 and eventually became part of the National Education Association as the NEA Student Program. The new name "Aspiring Educators" reflects the passion, commitment, and vision of members who believe in public education and its potential to uplift individuals, families, and communities.
Learn more about Aspiring Educators by visiting www.nea.org.
MNEA-Aspiring Educators Staff & Leaders
Missouri NEA Headquarters
1810 E Elm Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101
(800) 392-0236
MNEA-AE Coordinator and Field Manager East
Shannon Weber
(314) 584-1302 | shannon.weber@mnea.org
MNEA-AE Administrative Assistant
Roxane Bly
(573) 644-9606 | roxane.bly@mnea.org
2023-2024 Leadership Council
Aspiring Educators Chair
Faron Haase, Missouri State University
Aspiring Educators Vice Chair
Max Hull, Park University
Aspiring Educators Secretary
Madison Haynes, Missouri State University
Campus Representative
Janei Jackson, University of Missouri – St. Louis
Campus Representative
Lily Martin, Missouri State University
Get Involved in MNEA-Aspiring Educators
Organize a chapter on your campus
Are you a college student passionate about entering your career in education? Do you want to meet and network with others on your campus, around the state and nation who share your passion? Learn more about organizing an MNEA-AE chapter on your campus by contacting MNEA's AE Coordinator at (314) 584-1302 or shannon.weber@mnea.org.
Become an education leader and advocate
MNEA has a number of ways for college students to get involved in the Association. Your energy and voice matter.
- Attend MNEA R.A.s.
- Attend trainings to prepare for your career
- Become an Education Advocate at the capitol
- Team up with a recently retired member
- Become a mentor to a high-school student
Financial and Career Resources
- Cochran Scholarship
- Gilbert Balderrama Minority Scholarship
- Jack Kinnaman Scholarship
- Scholarships & Grants
- CollegeAffordabilityGuide.org
- MOReap - job openings in school districts throughout Missouri
JOIN MNEA-ASPIRING EDUCATORS TO JUMP START YOUR EDUCATION CAREER
What are the top reasons to join? 
- Scholarship opportunities that only MNEA-Aspiring Educators are eligible for.
- Legal Protection you can count on. $4 million in professional liability and additional payment for legal fees for most civil and some criminal lawsuits arising out of job-related incidents and a free one-hour consultation with an attorney for personal legal matters.
- Great opportunity to become a leader in your local, state & national associations.
- Publications to assist you as you begin your career in education
- Start Smart, a beginning teacher handbook
- Salary Benchmarks & Rankings, a comparison of school district salaries in Missouri
- Something Better, MNEA's award-winning magazine
- NEA Today
- Big savings to more than 700,000 locations throughout the nation, state, and community.
- $20 student dues rebate for every year you were enrolled in Aspiring Educators when you join an NEA affiliate after graduation.
Want to be a teacher? Sign up for TeachMO
Our friends at Teach Missouri have free tools and resources to make applying to a teacher preparation program—and becoming a classroom teacher—easier!
Create an account today and immediately access:
- Interactive application checklists to keep you on track.
- $100 fee reimbursement towards any of your application and testing expenses.
- 1-on-1 expert advice for any question along the way.
- How-to guides for eligibility, applications, testing, and finances.
- A chance to win a $1,000 scholarship toward tuition.
Check them out by signing up here!
Praxis Blended Learning Courses
NEA Teacher Quality launched Praxis Blended Learning sessions to assist Aspiring Educators study for the Praxis Core exams (and some content). These 90-minute weekly virtual sessions are free to NEA members and run for 4-6 weeks. There are multiple courses and times to choose from.
While Missouri uses its own Missouri Content Assessments rather than Praxis tests for certification, there are enough similarities to make these sessions helpful to Aspiring Educators in Missouri. Find information specific to Missouri Content Assessments, including study guides and practice tests at http://www.mo.nesinc.com/.
Please contact Tiffany Cain - tcain@nea.org with any questions.
