Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because I wanted to make a difference. My bachelor's is in conservation biology, which was a rewarding career, however it didn't allow me to positively impact lives in a way in which I wanted. I teach to inspire students to follow their dreams and explore the sciences.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

Not teaching specifically, but I ran a rocketry club. During our test launch, a wire hadn't been securely clipped to the launch controller. As a result only two of our four engines ignited causing our rocket to fail to lift off and explode on the launch pad. The students were understandably bummed out by our rapid unexpected disassembly, but were rewarded to lunch out at a local deli for all of their hard work.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would use the majority of the funding to support my school creating an American Rocketry Challenge team, or establishing a Science Olympiad program.