Tell us why you became a teacher

My senior project in high school was to complete 10 hours of community service. In January, I asked my former 3rd-grade teacher if I could help her. I had an off period in my schedule, so I had time to help. She was excited to receive help, and I continued to assist her three times a week until the end of school. The required ten hours of help turned into almost 60 hours. I was hooked and decided to major in Elementary Education in college. This experience was the start of my passion and career.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable teaching moment was when I was assessing one of my harder students during my first year of teaching. At the beginning of the year, he knew about six sounds. He would hide under the desk, cry, and yell during spelling tests. By the end of the year, he was reading long vowel words and was one of the first students ready with a pencil during tests. I love seeing huge growth in my students. It is so rewarding to see these large amounts of progress and then celebrate with them.

What would you do with the $25,000?

On a stormy day in December, I noticed I had a leak in my roof. I was getting ready to go to school one day. I walked past my new table and discovered it was mostly covered in water. With $25,000 I would love to replace my roof. I currently have a tarp over part of it. The tarp is acting as a quick fix, as it is definitely not a long-term solution. With any extra money, I would love to buy more books for the classroom, reading cushions, and other classroom supplies.