Tell us why you became a teacher

I attended Catholic schools from kindergarten through senior year in high school and I had many positive experiences in the classroom but also some incredibly negative, rigid experiences where individual exploration of topics was not encouraged. I have always valued education outside of the classroom and for me, education within the walls of a school should prepare and encourage students to enjoy learning while providing the student with the tools necessary to navigate the world of learning.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

For my first job, I took over for somebody who had quit the position in September of 2011. I started on October 28th of that year. As you could imagine, I was entering a classroom with little structure. I was fresh out of college working in an environment entirely foreign to me with students who seemingly I had nothing in common with. I made it my goal to connect with them and more importantly be there for them. I showed up everyday on purpose and with purpose and we built great relationships.

What would you do with the $25,000?

Whatever my wife tells me! In all seriousness: 1. Our 5th wedding anniversary is coming up. We were married during the pandemic and did not take a honeymoon immediately, When we did, masks and lockdowns were still a thing. I would like to take a trip with my wife. 2. We have two kids and two dogs. Our house could use some minor (or major, depending on how you view it) facelifts to better suit our family! 3. Upgrade my garage to make it suitable for an electric car because I want to upgrade soon