PDK International this past summer recognized both emerging leaders and distinguished educators at its 2024 Educators Rising National Conference in Washington, DC. Each inductee was asked to produce a podcast episode to share student perspectives on their educational experience. In this episode, we hear from Angela, a high school student from New Mexico, about her experiences and her thoughts on becoming an educator. This interview was conducted by Starr Sackstein.

Starr Sackstein is the Chief Operating Officer and partner of Mastery Portfolio, LLC. Her transformative work in developing alternative assessments and non-traditional grading practices has created more authentic learning environments, directly benefiting students. Sackstein joins the cohort with achievements such as publishing multiple books on alternate assessments and other innovative practices, such as blogging for educators and homework strategies for teachers.

Since becoming inducted into the 2024 cohort, Ms. Sackstein has also become the state coordinator for Educators Rising in Massachusetts.