Tell us why you became a teacher

I pursued secondary education (high school) because it is a time of transition and change in kids´ lives. They are not young kids, but they are not adults either! I was connected to and influenced by a couple of my high school teachers, and I appreciated their support and guidance as a student. I wanted to positively impact my students and teach them the valuable skill of learning another language and hopefully becoming a contributing member of their communities.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

Teaching a subject you love and seeing students apply their skills is a privilege. One student in my Spanish class was disengaged despite my efforts to make a connection with them. One day, they excitedly shared how they communicated with a Spanish speaker at work, thanked me for teaching valuable skills, and their attitude changed. We stayed in touch after graduation, and they became fluent. This reminded me not to give up on seemingly unengaged students, as I may still be making an impact.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would donate some of the money to my school to fund scholarships for students and families who need financial assistance, give scholarship money for summer study abroad programs for low-income students, and donate funds for the two departments I teach in (the World Languages Department and the Multilingual Department, which serves students learning English). Finally, I would take my students on a cultural enrichment field trip. I would save what is left!