Elyse Smith

What is your favorite part of being an educator?

My favorite part about being an educator is I get the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of students. I get to inspire, motivate, and guide them to reach their potential and achieve their goals. In addition to this, I form lifelong relationships with students and their families, connecting years later to see how they are doing, what they are up to, and who they have become in their young adult years.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience.

My most memorable teaching experience is when I was teaching my students how to be active citizens and showing how they could make a difference. I had my kindergartners collect new items for those less fortunate. Our goal was to collect at least 100 items to donate in honor of the 100th day of school. My students were so excited for this opportunity that they collected over 500 items! We worked together to count each item and sorted them by category. It was fun to see them shining with pride.

What would you do with the $25,000?

While being an educator, I have continued my education by getting a master’s degree and am currently in the process of becoming Nationally Board Certified. I have tried to show my students and my own children that it is important to work hard to reach your goals and to always try your best. I would like to treat my family to a vacation since I am gone a lot with my continuing ed and various clubs I run. I would also like to save some of this money for my children's college funds.