Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because I have been privileged to have many amazing educators leave a lasting impression in my own life and educational journey. They exemplify what it means to be great teachers and demonstrate how much impact we can have with our students. I have always enjoyed working with kids, and being a teacher is so much more than just passing on information. I love helping students find their strengths to help them discover their path to pursing something they're passionate about.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable experience was when a high school student stood up in front of the entire district staff to perform an emotional original oratory about her experiences moving here and as an English learner. Just three years before that performance she had come to my classroom as a very shy, nervous, quiet ELL student. It was amazing to see, not just how far she had come with becoming fully bilingual, but her profound, confident performance and knowing I was a small piece of that journey.

What would you do with the $25,000?

If I won $25,000 I would like to set some aside to start a scholarship fund for ELL students pursing education beyond a high school diploma. I would purchase materials to facilitate more hands-on experiential learning and science resources to supplement and replace the very outdated things we have available now. After that, if there was any left, I would buy more books for my classroom library.