Social studies education junior Jacie Lackey was elected the Oklahoma Aspiring Educators Association president for 2022-23.
OAEA, formerly known as the Student Oklahoma Education Association, is a pre-professional organization of undergraduate and graduate students currently preparing for careers in education. As a member of OAEA, students are affiliated with the larger Oklahoma Education Association, an educational professional association representing nearly 35,000 members in the state. OAEA members are also part of the National Education Association, the largest education association in the nation and a major force in shaping the nation’s education agenda, with over 3.2 million members representing every state in the nation.
For Lackey, the route to a career in education was one filled with twists and turns. With both her parents working as educators, she was always told to pick anything but education as a career. She took that advice to heart, starting her academic career as an economics and political science double major at Oklahoma City University with plans to attend law school.
As the pandemic hit, she realized her academic pursuits were for others and not herself and transferred to OU to study psychology. With troubles getting into psychology classes and knowing she wanted to teach, she set an appointment with the advising team in the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education. That meeting changed everything.
“Part of why I chose social studies education is because of my interest in the fields of psychology, sociology and economics,” Lackey said. “However, the largest reason for choosing social studies is due to the lack of true history being taught in our schools today. My high school freshman Oklahoma History class did not teach about the Tulsa Race Massacre and only briefly mentioned the many indigenous histories that make up what became the state of Oklahoma. I, as a social studies educator, want to ensure that my students learn about their own histories as well as the many different perspectives throughout history and in any related field.”
One of Lackey’s goals as OAEA president is to show aspiring educators they have a support system to help navigate the teaching profession. With her political science background, she also wants to help future teachers understand how politics affects public school systems.
“I want my peers and future colleagues across the state to start networking and build lifelong friendships that they can lean on during these difficult times.” Lackey said. “Too often, I see people asking, ‘What does politics have to do with education?’ But the reality of our society is that politics control much of what we do as educators. I want to make sure that OAEA members know they have a voice and encourage them to use it to make progress for our fellow teachers, staff, students and schools for generations to come.”
Set to graduate in 2024, Lackey plans to pursue a master’s degree in the College of Education while also teaching at a high school in the Oklahoma City metro.
