Tell us why you became a teacher

I always wanted to teach but life had different plans for me. I have worked with development disabled for 38 years and finally got my opportunity to become a teacher. I have a chance to take all my experiences and devote myself to help my students thrive, grow and succeed in their lives. It is hard work and takes a lot of commitment but I am loving every minute of it. It is such a great feeling when I see a student light up when they have an aha moment.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

I was teaching addition and subtraction with double digits. After a few days I had my students come up to the smart board to solve equations. My students were confident and answered the equations. They had a smile on their faces and were so proud of themselves. Any doubts that I had about not doing right by my students went away.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would use the money to get some debts paid off and put the rest towards my future. It would be a blessing to have this opportunity.