Tell us why you became a teacher

In high school I babysat twin boys with severe autism. Prior to then I had never been exposed to disabilities. Those boys stole my heart and are the sole reason I chose to enter the field of special education. I have never regretted it since that day.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

There isn’t one experience that has hit me hard because I have so many amazing memories. To me it’s the relationships I have built with students. Getting to know my students, what they like and don’t like, how they learn, what abilities shine the brightest in them and utilizing those abilities to help them succeed. Doing that year in and year out is the most rewarding thing I could ask for.

What would you do with the $25,000?

Student loans. There is no specific big thing I want, if there was I would have chosen a career that makes a lot of money and not one that is rewarding. But with that my $150,000 in student loans I left college with take a burden on me. This money would go straight to helping me pay off those loans.