Tell us why you became a teacher

I saw the opportunity as a Muslim Woman to show students of color at a critical time of their life that not only were they capable of exploring fields in STEM, but also that they deserved to be in those spaces because everyone in the space is a scientist. The honor of being a teacher is creating a space where joy exists within your particular space as educators and played additional roles to further nourish scholars to witness their expertise and excellence. This is why I became a teacher!

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

I had the unique experience of beginning my teaching career on zoom in the height of the pandemic and my most memorable moment was through a computer screen. As a science educator, I had the challenge of trying to make the learning hands on while not being in the same space as my scholars and the solution was bringing my students aka my laptop to the kitchen to conduct science experiments. The moment that stuck is students recreating those experiments after class and sending me their videos!

What would you do with the $25,000?

As a scholar myself who enjoys continuing my education, I hope to not only pay off current student debt but also use this money to continue my education with another masters in school leadership. I can see an opportunity to ensure all students get to experience the joy of science and working alongside other science educators can help achieve that goal!