Jennifer Russo

Tell us why you became a teacher

My mom became a teacher when she was almost 40, so I got to see not only her find a career she loved at that age, but how she affected her students. I knew I wanted that too! Teaching is a profession where you’re not in it for yourself - you truly want to make a difference. If I can help make an impact on just one child’s life throughout my career, I know the ripple effect will last for decades.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

Some years ago I had a sweet girl move to our area from the Dominican Republic. She knew no English, was very shy, and turns out, that at 10 years old, she didn’t know how to read. Over the course of 2 years ( I was an EL teacher at the time), we worked to lock down basic reading skills. Finally, one day she said “Ms. Russo, I want to read to you!”. We sat down and she beautifully read one of the decodable readers I had in my library. She was so confident and happy, and it made me so emotional!

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would use some of it for my March 2025 wedding! And whatever leftover would most definitely go towards my classroom and funding school programs (we have a few underfunded ones that could use the help!)