Tell us why you became a teacher

I had a lot of amazing role models in my life who were my teachers. When I left college, I knew that I wanted to repay the kindness and love that I experienced from my teachers. Now I am living my dream engaging students and giving them the best chance at succeeding in life through education.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

One time in 2023, I taught my students everything there was to know about desert animals and they agreed to entering into a contest to guess the day and time a desert tortoise would leave its burrow from the winter hibernation. One of my students guessed correctly and my class earned the reward of going to a desert sanctuary and meeting the tortoise himself as well as exploring the sanctuary. It was by far my favorite experience seeing the kids achieve greatness from their learning.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would use a portion of the funds to supply my classroom with educational tools. Also, I am currently in school for a masters program and the $25,000 would be a huge help financially to continue my higher education so I can help more students with greater efficiency.