Tell us why you became a teacher

As soon as I was old enough, I found myself constantly surrounding myself with children. Whether it was babysitting, volunteering at church, etc., I always wanted to work with children. My earliest job was at a church daycare. When it came time to pick a career, teaching was a no brainer. Since becoming a teacher, I’ve never looked back!

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

Early in my career, I was teaching first grade in a Title 1 school. I had a student come in late in the year who still didn’t know his letters and sounds. His career goals were to sit at home and watch music videos. I taught him the alphabet and sounds by making a set of ABC flash cards with popular singers in them. He loved it and quickly began to learn all his letters and sounds!

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would give some to my church and my favorite charity (a privately funded animal rescue). I would also lay off my credit cards. Last, I would take my family on a memorable vacation! Memories and time spent with each other is the most important thing in the world.