Sean Thomson

Tell us why you became a teacher

At age 17, I was asked to help coach at a youth basketball camp. I was assigned to coach a team of ten young kids ages 8-10. The kids were amateurs at the sport and struggled mightily on the first day. By the final day they were the most dominant team and were crushing the competition. The head counselor told me my success with the group was my calling to teaching.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable teaching experience was the day after Donald Trump won his first term in November 2016. I remember the mood school was so mixed as some kids were gloating about Trump’s victory and others were frustrated that a man they had no respect for was now President. To ease the tension I created an assignment that brought everyone together so they could understand one another. They understood that while they disagreed politically but they would at least respect each other’s opinions.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would donate part of it to my non profit which aims at providing opportunities to underprivileged youth. I would invest part of it in my school to grow certain programs. I would then set some aside for my two sons’ college fund.