Tell us why you became a teacher

I kind of charmingly fell into teaching. I was in New York at a children’s company where we had events, preschool and classes, but I was a manager. I realized I loved being on the other side of it and why not teach what I love: musical theatre. It’s such a difficult, exhausting job but there can be little moments of joy and advancement that feel huge and powerful. The big moments feel even better - I love holding onto those and bringing a love of music into children’s lives.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable experience was last year, when I lived in New York. I had two music clubs after school. My older-aged group performed two songs, with a challenging dance, and performed a scene that I helped them write. The year was tough with lots of staffing changes and some difficult behavior..but they did it! They performed and did their best and what more can you ask?

What would you do with the $25,000?

I honestly would put it towards paying off my student loans, and if there’s any remaining, use it for travel. I love traveling but I’m very limited by my low salary.