Jae Lynne Yerena

I became a teacher because I want to inspire and uplift others the way I was inspired/uplifted. My middle school art teacher was one of the only adults in my life at the time that believed in me. I came from a hard home life, and sometimes even struggled with food and housing. Many times when I went to school, my basic needs hadn’t been met and it made it hard to focus. Mrs. Coffman was the only one to notice. She fed me and inspired me. She told me I could be more until I finally believed it.

My most memorable teaching experience occurred last year. I thought it was my job to inspire students, but I had a student who inspired me. I could tell she was upset and it was affecting her school work. She was a young mother that had a tough home life. She explained how overwhelmed she was and I listened. She cried and I gave her tissues and a hug. After she vented, she told me that I was one of the first people to listen to her and not judge and I told her that her resilience inspired me.

I would definitely use at least $10,000 of the funds for our art program. So many of the students in our area are economically disadvantaged. I would love to be able to give art supplies to students to take home for those who are really enthusiastic about art and want to pursue it outside of school. I am also involved with the homeless in our community and a place called Ryan’s Refuge that I would love to donate to as they are working towards opening the first women’s shelter in Mobile.