Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because I was raised with watching my mom be an amazing teacher. She made such a positive impact on her students lives and her students spoke of her in such a positive way. I wanted to be someone that could make a difference, make that impact, and love on kids each and every day.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My memorable experience in teaching is the forever relationships built with my students. Within my first year teaching, my mom passed away from stage 4 lung cancer. It was one of the hardest challenges I will face in this life. I wasn't sure how I could return back to work and be everything my kids needed me to be for them. In the first day back, I was embraced with the sweetest hugs, the most loving cards and words of positivity, and I knew things would be okay. The kids will ALWAYS be my why!

What would you do with the $25,000?

With this being my third year teaching, I would use the money to re-vamp my classroom. This money would allow me to purchase more books and series that my 6th graders love, as well as flexible seating (bean bags, scoop seats, etc.), and learning materials. I’d also like to put some of that money towards going back to school for my masters and learning how to be an even better and more effective teacher!