Connect Tell us why you became a teacher

I struggled all through elementary school. Middle and high school were also not an easy time either. During my freshman year of college, I had an amazing professor ask if had ever been tested for dyslexia. After being diagnosed, I decided to move in to special education so that other children wouldn’t fall through the cracks like I did and get the help they needed.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

Recently, I had a student that had very physical behaviors and a very rigid way of communicating and thinking. When he entered my current program, he started to make substantial progress. With a lot of teamwork, patience, and time, we were able to help him build positive skills that would help him succeed in his general education classroom. We then were able to transition him back to his general education classroom full time. Watching his growth over that year and half was amazing.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would split the money between myself and my school program. I would put $10000 in my savings for future planning and keep $5000 for myself for personal spending to help with everyday things (rent, groceries, bills). I would then donate $10000 to my current program in order to build either a playground or a sensory room!