Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because when I was in school, I had a learning disability that went unnoticed. My goal as a teacher is not to let any of my students fall through the cracks like I did. I am dyslexic and was not diagnosed until I was in high school. This made school a terrible place for me. I never want a child to feel the way I did when I could not read. This is why I became a teacher, so that I can give all of my students a safe place to learn that is free of judgement.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

The most memorable experience I have as a teacher is when my student won the spelling bee. It was my first year teaching and I have never felt such a proud feeling as I did that day. My student went head to head with a student three grades above him and won. The cheers from his classmates and seeing his mother tearing up made for a surreal experience. What made this moment so memorable for me is that was when I knew I made the right choice becoming a teacher.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I work at title one school that has had the same playground equipment since I went to school there. I would love to use the money to put back into our school. I would also like to give the students experiences that they otherwise would not have. Many families at our school do not have money to pay for things like field trips but they still deserve to have these experiences. I also would like to expand my classroom library as most of my books come from the thrift store and are falling apart.