Connect Tell us why you became a teacher

I wanted to be a light and give Hope to children who had given up. So many children feel like no one cares and I wanted to show them that someone does. I have always felt that this was my calling and that I could be a voice for those who didn't have a voice. I have always known that teaching was my passion and that if I could change the direction, or path that someone might take to be more positive , then it was worth it all. Joy is what I feel when I connect with my students and I love it!

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

Teaching goes beyond the classroom. Especially in my life! Having a child with autism changed my world. I always thought I was teaching him but he was the one who was teaching me! One of the most memorable teaching experiences that I have ever experienced was having a student say Ms. Amy for the first time at The School of Hope and hearing my son say I love you! Those experiences are never forgotten and always etched in my mind! Knowing that I learned something so precious after we lost our son.

What would you do with the $25,000?

My husband and I opened up a school for children with autism eight years ago in memory of our son Jarred. This School is for students who have autism. When Jarred died, a piece of me died. Our school started with 5 students and we now have almost 80. I would love to be able to put a down payment for our life center for our students to teach them life skills. We are always trying to prepare our students for the future and this would be a great way to begin construction for a new life center.