Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher after taking a childhood development class in high school. I quickly realized that working with kids, watching them have ah-ha moments, and seeing them understand the concepts we were working through was something I wanted to pursue as a career.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

I taught 5th grade Math at a magnet school last year. To inspire my students to feel passionate about decimals, I created a starbucks experience in our classroom where I was the barista making hot chocolate, Frappuccino’s, and baked goods. The kids had so much fun and were beyond excited to do the math to figure out how much “money” they owed. At the end of the year, many students reflected and stated it was the highlight of their year. It definitely was one of mine!

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would use the $25,000 towards getting my masters in special education. I started my program in 2020 and unfortunately had to pause due to COVID. I would love to finish it up as I only need a few credits to complete it. If money is left over, then I would aim to put it towards student loans and classroom necessities, such as backpacks for my kiddos who cannot afford it, extra notebooks, etc.