Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher to spread the love of music to as many students as I can. When I went through school, the band room was my home away from home. All of my friends were in the band, it is where excelled as a student, and most of my favorite memories are from the band program. This is why I became a band director. To help others have the chance to build the same memories and connections that I did.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable experience comes from this past December when I was able to take my high school band to Orlando, Florida to participate in the 2024 Pop-Tart bowl. My students got the chance to go on the field during halftime and play in front of a massive audience, and also had the opportunity to go to Universal Orlando for two days. The look on my students faces as they traversed the bowl game and Universal, as they built this life long memory, reminded me of why this job is truly important.

What would you do with the $25,000?

With the $25,000, I would use a bit of that to help catch up on some debt that has built up, and I would use the rest to go towards getting my Master's degree to improve my teaching to better improve the experiences and opportunities of my students.