UNO James Madison Fellow Inspires Next Generation of Civic Leaders in the Classroom

Erika Lewis always saw herself as an educator. As an undergraduate student in Tennessee, her passion for history and government led her to a double major in political science and secondary education. Between classes and tests, she dreamed about extending her excitement for civics to the next generation of students.

Her love of politics was strengthened through an internship with Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Ward Crutchfield. The energy of Nashville and the state capitol captured her – she felt like she was living out the stories she had read about in her textbooks. After the internship, she continued on to work for the Tennessee Attorney General.

Then, life added a new path to her journey: motherhood. After her children were born, she placed her career on hold and focused her efforts on raising her daughter and son. As the days went on and her toddlers turned to teens, Lewis noticed another shift happening around her.

“The world just seemed very hopeless in some ways, as far as having civically minded people...” Lewis said. “I just saw what I felt like was a strong need for good social studies and civics education.”

She thought back to her first dream – the one she had before she discovered the electricity of politics. The dream she had as a little girl, back when she’d set up her dolls and captivated the attention of her play-pretend schoolroom.

She knew it was time to get back to the classroom, and enrolled in the University of Nebraska Omaha’s secondary education master’s degree program. Even with the pandemic in her path, she completed the program in 2021 and secured her spot as a teacher at Papillion La Vista South High School.

A New Direction

As Lewis settled into her teaching career, a new goal formed: dual enrollment education. With aspirations of teaching an AP Government classroom, she headed back to UNO to work towards her graduate certificate in government. While there, she heard about the James Madison Fellowship – a prestigious national award designed to inspire and support educators that teach constitutional history and government.

The program excited her. In addition to providing funds to support her graduate education, the program also hosted a monthlong intensive summer institute through Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. It seemed like the perfect opportunity for a political science enthusiast.

Lewis knew that if she never tried, she’d never know. So, even with the gravity of the award’s highly selective nature in the forefront of her thoughts, she submitted her application materials.

One teacher was selected as a James Madison Fellow for each state – and to Lewis’ shock, she was selected as Nebraska’s representative.

Soon, she was on a plane to America's biggest political stage: Washington. As she convened with passionate American history and government educators from across the country in the nation’s capital, she felt entirely in her element.

“They’re like-minded. They’re passionate teachers. We nerd out about all the same things,” Lewis said about her fellow fellows, “Professionally... I felt like I really found my people. Personally, I formed friendships with some wonderful people from across the country.”

After a rigorous four weeks of lectures, papers, and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities like meeting Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Lewis returned to her classroom with a renewed passion for civic education – and a new sense of self.

"Why wouldn’t it be you?”

In a short four years, Erika Lewis’ life had completely changed.

She was back in the classroom – where she always felt like she had belonged. Her accomplishments included two master’s degrees (one in Secondary Education and another in Political Science) and a national fellowship. While at times it felt hard for her to grasp the magnitude of her accolades, to her coworkers and professors it was never even a question.

Lewis thinks back to when she was in the application process for the Madison Fellowship. She ran into a colleague in the hallway, who mentioned to her that he had sent off her letter of recommendation for the fellowship.

“It’s a longshot, why would they pick me?” She said, as she assured her coworker that the program was ambitious but probably unrealistic.

His response was simple: “Why wouldn’t it be you?”

It’s a message that sticks with her now, a vote of confidence that adds to her already cemented pride in her achievements. And it's something she can tangibly take back to the classroom and use to inspire the next generation.

“When I talk to my students... sometimes we put so much pressure on kids to be like, ‘what do you want to do? Figure your life out!’ And I’m living proof that sometimes, life will throw you curveballs. Sometimes life will throw you opportunities. Never stop – there’s something you want? Go out and get after it. Put in the work to make it happen,” Lewis said. “Don’t ever lose that passion for what you love and what you love to do.”