Tell us why you became a teacher

My biggest influence was my mother. She was a phenomenal teacher in Southeast Asia and served fifty plus kids ranging from grades 1-5. Obviously, I didn’t get into the profession for the salary, but I do love the schedule. Working nine months out of the year and to include the holidays off is so ideal, when you have a child in elementary school. Another fun fact about why I became a teacher is because I like the smell of crayons. Having a passion in teaching makes the job fun and rewarding.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable teaching experience was when I was teaching a geometry lesson to six second grade MLL (multilingual learner). Vocabulary was fore-fronted in a way that English language learners were able to apply and comprehend. With a lot of visuals and kinesthetic practice with materials the students were able to compare and contrast the difference between plane and solid figures. The expression on their faces validated to me that they’ve met the learning objectives for that lesson.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I have a seven year old son. I would put $25,000 towards my son’s VA529 plan to support his future and his college education.