Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher after working on a child friendly video gaming server. I liked the way I could mentor the kids learning how to moderate the servers and worked my way up to an admin where I was able to support a few dozen kids. I loved art but didn't know how I could make it a full career and kind of fell into teaching after a semester being a math ed major. When I realized that being an elective teacher meant I could build relationships and give them a safe place to call home, I was sold.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

Some of my favorite memories were from working after school with a group called TSA. I loved watching these students learn and excel in areas I couldn't see in an art room. We had a group of 6 kids who competed in chapter team and placed in the top 10 at nationals! This was unheard of in such a small school and recognition the kids recieved was life changing.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would pay off my masters debt and then knowing myself I'd likely put it back into some classroom supplies. I always love to give kids a wide range of experiences and that means many different and odd art materials. I'd also renovate my own at home art studio to reflect more of my personal taste.