Connect Tell us why you became a teacher

While in high school, I had a fiery passion to learn everything I could; I even read encyclopedias for fun. Novels helped me go places I couldn't travel to. Small college scholarships helped me continue my education in college. After graduation with a BA in English, I started teaching to inspire others to find a passion in literacy, learning to read what they loved. That's my goal as a teacher, to help them unlock that love.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable experience wasn't an actual teaching moment. It was saving a student's life. I had been out at a half-day training, and when I came back, I let my sub finish teaching. I observed a girl sleeping which was unusual for her. I moved to talk to her, and she could not move or talk. We got her to the hospital. Her boyfriend had drugged her at lunch. If I hadn't been there, doctors say she would have died. I will never forget that experience.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I received my master's degree in 2017. I am still paying on a student loan I took out. If I won $25,000, I would pay off that loan as well as one I took out to help my daughter go to college. With what is left, I would visit London, England and its countryside. I've dreamed of visiting its castles, museums, and cathedrals all my life.