Connect Tell us why you became a teacher

I first thought about teaching after discovering I loved spending time with my young nieces. They were full of energy, inquisitive and made me smile. The more experience I gained in a teaching setting the more I realized I possessed a natural talent of communicating with young people. I realized they taught me as well, and that I could possibly help a young person. I had a blast working with young people and I loved the dynamic aspect of never knowing what might come next with them.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

One of my most memorable moments was when I taught 6th grade. The class and I had a great bond; we could joke for a minute and get right back to work. We could go off on a tangent discussing something that was important to them. They decided (on their own) to surprise me one day by rewriting Lady GaGa's song, Bad Romance to Bad Class (even though they were an amazing class). They created costumes and practiced the new lyrics on their own. One day I entered the classroom and they performed it!

What would you do with the $25,000?

I have two daughters. One just started college. The other will start in 2 years. I don't want them to have burdensome college debt. I would use the $25,000 toward their college expenses.