Dr Tommia Hartsfield

Tell us why you became a teacher

As a child, my teachers were examples of what true love and support represented in a child’s life. As an adult, I often carried with me. The positive influences that my teachers gave me that I did not receive at home. As a mother, I started to see how those values and influences were beginning to leave the educational system. As a result, I decided to enter education to keep those influences alive through me…so I became a teacher.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable year was the 2019-2020 school year, where most of my students were referred to as “unreachable and unteachable”. That was the year that my students not only met the expectation, but exceeded the expectations of the school district. It was because I believed in them just as much as I taught them that they achieved these results. And as a result of their hard work and dedication, that was the year I truly realized what it meant to be a teacher.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I will use the $25,000 to provide educational options and resources for students and families in underserved communities beyond public education.