Tell us why you became a teacher

My teachers inspired me to become a teacher through their love of their content knowledge and their ability to connect with me and teach me about life. Being a teacher combines two things I enjoy -- helping people and working with children. As an English teacher, I have the opportunity to help kids learn skills that enable them to become lifelong, independent learners, and allow me to work with teenagers who inspire and teach me just as much as I hope I do for them.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

At a former school, each teacher took on a class called Crew. It was similar to a homeroom or advisor-advisee period within the school day. In the fall of 2019, I got a freshman Crew class. This Crew class met each day for 50 minutes, and we ate lunch together in our classroom because of COVID-19. This group became so close that they voted to loop together with me for three years. We learned a lot from each other during that time, through ups and downs. They still inspire me to this day.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would like to use some of the money to travel to Norway and Germany. I would try and visit places that are part of my family's history. I'd like to use that experience to inspire my students to explore their own heritage and family stories. The rest of the money would most likely go towards paying off some student loan debt. I had to take on loans to go to college, but it was all worth it. I love what I do, and I wouldn't have been able to do it without that college education.