(Top left: Todd Roberts, far left, director of the Kansas Future Teachers Academy, shares a laugh with students at the academy on the Emporia State University campus this week. Middle top: Academy students play a high stakes game of "Rock, Paper, Scissors," led by Amy Hillman, assistant director of the KFTA. Middle: Regan Greenleaf, a senior at Kiowa County High School, makes a shoe out of clay as part of a project-based learning session taught by Amber Pagan, a 2025 Kansas Teacher of the Year finalist. Bottom: Taylor Bussinger, far left, 2024 Kansas Teacher of the Year, has his students create and fly paper airplanes as part of his project-based learning class.)

Todd Roberts believes anyone who wants to become a teacher has a story to tell. 

“And the stories they have are amazing,” he said. 

As director of the Kansas Future Teachers Academy (KFTA) and an instructor of education at Emporia State University, Roberts has had a front row seat to the stories of Kansas high school and college students who want to teach, some who have had to overcome obstacles.  

“A lot of our students are going to be first generation college students,” he said. “Some of them come from poverty, and this is a way for them to break that generational poverty cycle.”  

Todd Roberts believes anyone who wants to become a teacher has a story to tell. 

“And the stories they have are amazing,” he said. 

As director of the Kansas Future Teachers Academy (KFTA) and an instructor of education at Emporia State University, Roberts has had a front row seat to the stories of Kansas high school and college students who want to teach, some who have had to overcome obstacles.  

“A lot of our students are going to be first generation college students,” he said. “Some of them come from poverty, and this is a way for them to break that generational poverty cycle.”  

The KFTA brought 66 students from 51 large and small Kansas high schools to the Emporia State campus this week. The academy emphasizes social-emotional learning, project-based learning and how to build an inclusive classroom with sessions led largely by past Kansas Teachers of the Year and finalists. Guest speakers during the week also included Kansas Education Commissioner Dr. Randy Watson, Dr. Renee Nugent, KSDE deputy commissioner of the division of learning services and Dr. Jay Scott, director of KSDE accreditation and design.  

Regan Greenleaf, a senior at Kiowa County High School, Kiowa County USD 422, said the academy has helped her make connections with peers who are just as excited as she is to become a teacher. She said after having attended this week’s academy, she better understands what children need inside and outside of the classroom and what they need from her as a role model. 

“I work in a daycare,” she said, “so I’m going to implement some of these things that I’ve learned into my daycare setting.” 

Greenleaf said she wants to help children, birth through second grade, with special needs, particularly autism and Down syndrome, “to set (them) up for the best life they have ahead of them and I’m very passionate about that.” 

Like Greenleaf, Harmony Rena, a senior at Wichita South High School, Wichita USD 259, said special education is a passion of hers and thinks she wants to focus on third and fourth graders. Attending the academy has given her the confidence to pursue that path. 

“I've realized this summer that I could influence any student if I put in the effort,” she said. “It'll be good for me, and I'll be able to teach them.” 

Isaiah Rivera, a senior at Conway Springs High School, Conway Springs USD 356, said he’s been inspired to become a music teacher from Stephanie Bodley, his high school music teacher, “to take music further into my life.” 

He said being at this week’s academy has allowed him to be with his peers who also want to be teachers and those who are good role models as teachers. 

“Everyone here is in the same mindset,” he said. “Seeing how all these teachers, teachers of the year, just all of them are here to help us succeed. It's just really inspiring, and I feel like being here has definitely reassured my thought process of wanting to be a teacher.” 

Amy Hillman, assistant director of the KFTA, said she and Roberts work hard to make sure the academy gets better each year. 

“Each year we get sharper,” she said. “Each session, we've realized there is a vibe to each group of kids and each year we apply new knowledge to our future educators. When we dive in, we know we're training the kids to always be learners and thinkers.”