Teacher Exchange Alum Named 2025 National Teacher of the Year
On April 29, Ashlie Crosson of Pennsylvania—an alumna of the Teachers for Global Classroom’s Program (now a Fulbright Program)—was named the 2025 National Teacher of the Year. The annual award, sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers, is among the most prestigious teacher recognition programs in the United States. Crosson, an English teacher at Mifflin County High School in Pennsylvania, was recognized for her dedication to improving students’ lives through innovative courses and powerful experiences beyond the classroom. As a first-generation college student with a master’s degree in educational leadership from Pennsylvania State University, Crosson credits her 2018 Department of State fellowship with informing many of her accomplishments as an educator.
“My growth as a teacher leader and lifelong learner has been permanently influenced by my participation in the Teachers for Global Classrooms program. This fellowship transformed my pedagogy, helping me to develop students’ global competencies so they may become informed, culturally responsive citizens… I wanted to find ways to make their educational experience more reflective of the world they live in. Through coursework, collaborative dialogue, and a field experience in Morocco, the fellowship equipped me to redesign my instruction and redefine my role as a teacher leader,” she wrote in her National Teacher of the Year application.
Crosson has brought global issues into the center of her classroom, using her fellowship experience to reframe curricula and emphasize “glocal” (global and local) connections. She says the approach has strengthened her students’ “ability to utilize community resources in their own lives, value their role as global citizens, and advocate for a better tomorrow for all of us.”
Crosson teaches Advanced Placement language and composition, English 10, and Survival Stories— a unique, memoir-based class that examines global crises through young adult perspectives, focusing on how these issues specifically impact adolescents. She also revived a journalism course where she engages students with local media and has inspired many of them to pursue careers in the field. These programs strengthen her rural community and increase students’ college and career readiness.
In addition, Crosson leveraged her fellowship and with her superintendent’s support, started “Mifflin County (MC) Goes Global”, an overseas experience for students who may otherwise not have the opportunity to go abroad. Crosson said, “...[F]or many of our students from socio-economically challenged backgrounds this travel opportunity could be their only chance for first-hand global learning. MC Goes Global started as a passion project borne out of my [Teacher exchange] fellowship, but it has evolved into an integral part of our school culture. It has reaffirmed a vital truth I’ll carry with me for the rest of my career: successful classrooms aren’t only found in schools; some lessons are best learned through living.” Through Ashlie’s MC Goes Global initiative, 67 rural Pennsylvania high school students have visited 7 countries, and the program continues to expand.
Beyond the classroom, Crosson has influenced not only her students, but her state and profession as well. As part of a statewide committee, Crosson helped add a global framework to Pennsylvania’s Standards Aligned System, the state department of education’s resource to improve student achievement. She also assists with the school’s Positive Behavior Interventions and Support programming, leads the district’s international student trips, and cohosts a podcast dedicated to teachers' professional learning.
As the 2025 National Teacher of the Year, Crosson will spend a year representing educators and serving as a national ambassador for the teaching profession, showcasing American excellence and the impact of international education. She will be speaking at the Fulbright Teacher Exchanges tenth annual Global Teaching Dialogue this July.
Read more about Crosson’s work and approach here and watch her in action here.