Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because I wanted to make a difference in the lives of young children. I love when students gain the skills they will need iin order to become successful in life. I love when the "light bulb" goes off, and students are excited about learning.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

One of my most memorable days as a teacher was when I had a student approach me about quitting school. He was a foster kid who had a terrible relationship with adopted parents. He didn't have lots of friends and people that he trusted. So I decided to that I would take this student under my wing. I made it a point to check on him weekly. We went over his classes, checked grades, redid assignments, went over skills, and had many discussions on life lessons. Changed his life and graduated.

What would you do with the $25,000?

If I won that amount of money I would make a fun center in my classroom and go on Hawaiian vacation.