Tell us why you became a teacher

From the time I was a young child I recall playing school at home with my stuffed animals and chalkboard. It’s the only thing I ever imagined I would do when I grew up. Then, I grew up and did just that. From 3rd grade, to 2nd grade, to PreK, and K-2 Reading and Math Intervention, it’s been a fulfilling experience becoming what I always dreamed I would be, a teacher.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

The year of the COVID 19 Pandemic will go down in my book as one of the most challenging, unconventional, and memorable experiences of my career. I had just moved from PreK to 3rd grade, went on maternity leave in January after having my first baby, and came back to teaching remotely during the initial months of school closures and remote learning. What a wild journey it was! My colleagues and I grew so much closer to those students than we will with any other cohort.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I’d love to find an awesome, out of the box idea to give back to my students, however, $25,000 would pay off half of my remaining student loan debt. I can’t think of a better way to give back than to have the financial stability to pour into my family and also my classroom without feeling guilty or strapped for money. Budget cuts in education are crippling.