When I was in elementary school I had a difficult time sitting still and my report card always said "talks too much". Thankfully I had a few teachers who helped me use those things for good. For example, when I finished my work I could go help others or run errands. This allowed me to talk at appropriate times and get up and move around. I became a teacher to help those who struggle like I did. They need someone who truly understands what they experience to help them be successful.

One year I had a student who got into trouble a lot. I spent time building a relationship with him so that by Christmas there were almost no issues in my classroom. However, he would get into trouble in other classes and ended up being sent to alternative school in the spring. While there he had to choose someone back at school he could trust and advocate for him when he returned- he chose me. This is memorable because it reminds me relationships matter and kids need someone to believe in them.

With the 25,000 I would pay off my student loan debt and use the rest to go back to school to get my masters degree! I want to continue my education without going into more debt.