Tell us why you became a teacher

Growing up with my mom as a paraprofessional and my dad in construction, I was immersed in both education and hard work. Attending "Bring Your Child to Work Day" with my mom sparked my love for teaching. My dad once brought home desks and chalkboards from a school project, and I turned them into my own classroom. Babysitting neighborhood kids became my first teaching experience. Inspired by educators like Mrs. Harkness and Mrs. Puorro, I pursued my dream to become a teacher.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My first year teaching, my principal challenged the staff to come up with a way to memorize our new positive behavior acronym. My fifth graders and I created a rap and designed a music video to go with it. We were able to roll out the red carpet to premier the video. Even the local news did a feature on the students. For my students they felt so important and were able to make such a positive memory. Sometimes it’s more than the curriculum.

What would you do with the $25,000?

My wife and I are planning to grow our family. After 2 years we have taken some time off to save up to try again, this would definitely make our path financially easier. I also promised my students a Pizza and Wings party I teach 150 students and that’s a lot of pizza! 🍕