I always knew that teaching was what I was made to do. As an older teen, I had some amazing mentors to guide me and encourage me to earn my degree in Early Childhood Education. I attended the University of Maryland, College Park and began my teaching career as soon as I graduated.

I have many, but I think it was when I taught Head Start in North Carolina. I had to convert a restaurant, which was subleased to the County I was teaching in, into a state licensed and approved classroom within two weeks with a budget of maybe $500? It was the most challenging and rewarding experience of my teaching career. Never in a million years did I think I’d turn a strip mall restaurant into a five star ECERS approved classroom. I spent three years teaching there and loved every second.

I am a single Mom of four young children. I currently work two jobs to make ends meet because teaching doesn’t always pay the bills. So with this money, I’d pay off my remaining student loan, put some into a high yield savings account for my own children, and donate some to my school/colleagues in a way to give back to my teacher community.