Tell us why you became a teacher

I started working as a paraprofessional and one of the teachers told me I should become a teacher because she saw a gift of teaching in me. I decided to take a leap of faith and decided to go back to school. I graduated with high honors and magna cum laude. I got a masters in special education. I became a special education teacher for an inclusion classroom 2008. Then, in 2009 I became an autism teacher and haven’t looked back since. I love what I do!!!

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

I have so many memorable teaching experiences but this one has to be the most that stood out to me. My most memorable teaching experience was when I one of my old students from when he was in my 3rd grade class saw me and remembered who I was. He asked if I remembered what I used to say to him. He said you tell me “first work, then trials, and then screaming and crying.” That really moved me because he was a screamer but I needed to teach and he needed his work done. So I would bargain with him.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would get some supplies for my classroom to make it more autism sensory friendly. Register for school to get training in autism to update new pedagogy.Then take care of some personal repairs at home.