Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because I thought that being able to change lives, or someone’s potential life path was way more important and valuable to me than money. I wanted my classroom to always be a safe space for all my students no matter what is going on around them. I wanted to be a role model for my students and prove to them that if they work hard and put their mind to it they can accomplish their dreams no matter how difficult it might seem. I also wanted to advocate for student needs.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable moment teaching I would say was my second annual family thanksgiving potluck that I held in my classroom for my students and their families. We all made food and shared one giant lunch. I had one student that was so happy that his family was there, that he started to cry happy tears. I also had a lot of students tell me that they weren’t celebrating Thanksgiving at home, so this made them feel happy. That was one of the first teaching experiences that really warmed my heart.

What would you do with the $25,000?

Honestly, I would use 25,000$ to pay off the rest of my student loan debt, and probably some bills and other things that I can’t exactly afford to pay off in the current moment.