I became a teacher because for as long as I can remember I have loved helping children learn. It started at a young age and continued as I began tutoring and then going to college to pursue my dream of being a teacher. It is my passion, my gift, and it extends even outside of my classroom. It never turns off.

It's hard to choose just one. One that really stands out though is when I was invited to a student's graduation that I taught when he was in 1st grade. I had not seen him in 8 years and his mom invited me as a surprise. When graduation was over and he was hugging all his family he saw me through the crowd and ran to me with a huge smile and gave me the biggest hug. He then introduced me to his entire family. It was a very proud moment.

I would use some to pay off debt. I would also use some to put into my children's college funds. I would donate some to schools in need. With whatever is left I would put into savings to use for family experiences or anything else we need.