Connect Tell us why you became a teacher

My mom was a high school science teacher for 40 years and she won teacher of the year in her district. I have always looked up to her and how she taught! She was very fair and always sprinkled in humor. When I was 14 I started teaching swim lessons and everything clicked. I loved working with kids and seeing how students progressed. It was a job that I loved and when choosing a career it was easy to pick teaching! I picked math because I wanted a subject people struggled with the most.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

I had this students who never really came to school and when he did he wore a mix of the same clothes and did not want to participate. He was suspended a couple times and was labeled a “bad” kid. I never liked this label and I would bring extra food like fruit or a sandwhich and if he was at school I would give it to him. He started doing some of my work and he was fairly good at math. I love teaching and making connections and I really developed a great relationship with him.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would use the $25,000 for my classroom to order some more hands on material for the visual learners. I would also use some of it for the teams that I coach. The big thing the money would help me with is getting married and starting a family! A wedding requires a large sum of money these days and I work two jobs and have been saving! The money from winning this contest would make a huge difference!