Tell us why you became a teacher

Being a teacher was never in my plans as I was a horrible student growing up. A college professor suggested I have a backup plan in case criminal justice didn’t work out. I owe so much to her as my color blindness would’ve kept me out of law enforcement. I knew I enjoyed athletics, and I remembered the influence my coaches and teachers had on me, and I decided I wanted to do the same for future generations. I’m 13 years in now, and I can’t imagine doing anything else.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

I have several, but watching my first seniors graduate was extremely memorable. My advisory class was my special education caseload that I worked with to help them be successful and graduate. It was hardly ever easy for them, and for me, but we were able to get all 15 of my students to earn the credits needed to receive their diploma, and watching them walk across that stage was one of the proudest moments of my career.

What would you do with the $25,000?

We have a few things that our campus teachers and admin team have determined as “needs” for our school. A majority of the money would serve as a donation to our campus to get those needs, as well as some of the things we “want” for our athletic programs. I’d also like to give some of the money to my mom to help with anything she might need help with.