Gary Koehring

I became a teacher because life is much more about the lives you impact rather than the materials that you own. I wake up excited each day to positively impact my students and be that influential person in their lives. I pride myself on having a safe and inclusive environment for all students to thrive regardless of their situation outside of the classroom. My goal is for each student that I interact with to feel impowered to chase their dreams no matter how big they may be!

My most memorable experience as a teacher was welcoming back two of my former students who pursued trade school after graduation in welding, the content area that I teach. These students became the teachers for the day and taught our current students. The pride I felt knowing that I inspired them to chase a career was a feeling that cannot be replicated. Their passion that was developed in our class turned in to a desire to give back to the next generation of students. That is being a TEACHER.

With the $25,000, I would pay off some financial debt associated with my education. I would also invest in further higher education for myself that I am currently holding off from because of the financial commitment and I would also start a 529 education plan for my two sons age 2 and newborn.