Courtney Argo Recognized as Missouri Teacher Leader of Tomorrow

Courtney Argo, a newly appointed third grade teacher at Schofield Elementary in Republic, has been recognized among the 2022 Missouri Teacher Leaders of Tomorrow by the Missouri Milken Educators. The Missouri Milken educators partnered with WGU Missouri to create this new program, and in its first year, 10 teachers across the state – all of whom are WGU Missouri graduates – received the Missouri Teacher Leaders of Tomorrow designation.

All Missouri Teacher Leaders of Tomorrow inductees will receive the benefits of one-on-one mentorship from Missouri Milken Leaders, who were all previously recognized by the Milken Family Foundation with the National Milken Educator Award for their impressive achievements. Honorees will have a year of coaching and mentorship and will be able to access the full network of the Missouri Milken Educators. The network serves as a rich resource for fellow educators dedicated to excellence in education. Argo and the other honorees learned they were selected for the designation in May.

Argo has had a dream of being a teacher since she was a young child. After staying home to raise her children for 11 years, she set a goal to complete her bachelor's degree and start teaching when her youngest child started kindergarten. Argo enrolled at WGU Missouri in March 2020 when the pandemic hit and spent the last two years substitute teaching, where she fell in love with the students and realized she was on the right path. She completed her demonstration teaching at Schofield Elementary and is excited to begin her teaching career in the same building this school year and working with a great group of teachers and administrators.

Those named as 2022 Missouri Teacher Leaders of Tomorrow were selected for the honor because they stand out as examples of what’s right in the education profession. This year’s honorees graduated from WGU Missouri with their undergraduate degrees in education and completed student teaching in a Missouri school district during the 2021-2022 school year. New teachers will be named every year, with Milken hoping to expand the designation to alumni from additional universities.

“We are excited to partner with Milken to launch this new initiative and honor the best and brightest future educators in the state,” said Dr. Terrance Hopson, Regional Vice President of WGU Missouri. “All teachers recognized as Missouri Teacher Leaders of Tomorrow showed great dedication to education and student success during their time studying at WGU and throughout their student teaching. We are honored to count them among our alumni and are excited to see what they accomplish in the future as they work to inspire their students and help them reach their full potential.”

About WGU Missouri

WGU Missouri is a competency-based, online university created to expand access to higher education for Missouri residents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. WGU Missouri faculty members serve as mentors, working one-on-one with students, offering guidance, support, and individualized instruction.

Established in 2013 through a partnership with nationally recognized Western Governors University, WGU Missouri is open to all qualified Missouri residents. The university is nonprofit and self-sustaining on flat-rate tuition of about $7,000 per year for most programs.

Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Nursing College programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE*), and the Health Informatics program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). More information is available at missouri.wgu.edu or by calling 855.948.8493.

More information is available at missouri.wgu.edu or by calling 855.948.8493.

*Western Governors University offers nursing programs that are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 5380, Washington DC 20036, 202-877-6791).