Originally, I worked in animal care and was studying to become a vet. But after I had my daughter and went back to finish school, I realized I wanted to do something that would have a bigger impact on my community. As a huge science nerd who loves to help others, teaching was the perfect fit. I had a really hard time socially and emotionally in high school and realized I could use that pain to help struggling students. And in the summers, I still help animals by volunteering in wildlife care.

I love all the little “wins” in the classroom, but my favorite memories are those outside of class time when I have opportunities to help students in other ways. Last year, I wore a giant inflatable dinosaur costume to club rush to promote our new student club: SHIELD Club. They loved it! We were able to get a lot of students signed up for the club which focuses on safety and wellness, inside and out. We cover everything from first aid & emergency response to mental wellness & stress management.

I would first donate $1000 to each of the following: Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center, HB Fire Outreach (I volunteer with CERT too), The Trevor Project, March of Dimes (daughter was a micro preemie) and Easter Seals to help those with disabilities (I have Rheumatoid Arthritis). I would save the rest for my 14 year old daughter’s future education. But I would consider using a portion of it towards assistive technology for my visually impaired husband if there was anything new that could help him.