Tell us why you became a teacher

I graduated college with a degree in history. After working three years for an employment agency helping people find jobs and a year in accounting for a seasonal opera company, I decided to go back to school to get my teaching certificate. I realized being in an office, behind a desk, wasn't for me. I love interacting with the youth of America and teaching Social Studies. All of the subjects I teach are so important from US History and AP Government to Holocaust/Genocide Studies.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

Teaching elective courses like AP Government and Holocaust/Genocide Studies are not required to graduate. But I take great pride that all of my sections of these classes are full and some students may even get rejected. My students have said the love the energy I bring to the class and the passion I have for the subjects I teach. My most memorable teaching experiences are students telling how much they learned and how they are better people for taking my classes.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would donate a portion of the winnings to American Tributaries, a non-profit student travel group I serve on the board of. We try to bring America together by having students from NY and NJ visit and interact with people from DC and South Carolina. I would also use some of the money to help with writing a book on the history of Down Syndrome. I have a 23 year son Dominick with Down Syndrome and would love to educate as many people as possible on how special this group of people really are.