Tell us why you became a teacher

I had an amazing Spanish teacher at Willamette University where I live in Salem,Oregon. Her name was Mrs. Vargas and she assigned us to volunteer for a semester in an elementary school in order to practice speaking Spanish fluently. I knew right away that teaching was what I wanted to pursue as a my forever career. I specifically wanted to become a bilingual teacher so I could learn about Hispanic culture from students and families, they could learn about my culture and that's what I've done!

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

One of the most memorable teaching moments was my first year of teaching, years ago. I had a first and second grade bilingual blend with 32 students. I had a "Get to know you" celebration at the beginning of the year so families and I could meet. I remember being so nervous because Spanish was my second language and I wasn't sure if parents would accept me because I looked and sounded different from them. But to my relief EVERYONE accepted me and I have had so much fun teaching ever since!

What would you do with the $25,000?

Wow, that is ALOT of money! Honestly, we have some home repairs that would be nice to finally take care of. I have 3 daughters (18, 10, 6) so being able to support each of them with college (especially my oldest right now) would be amazing! I would probably put the rest in savings because we haven't had any extra money in case of emergency, so that would give me peace of mind!