Tell us why you became a teacher

I had great science teachers who ignited a passion in me for science and education at a young age. Through high school they made me interested in being not just a scientist, but a good person. I felt like the my personality was perfect for following in their footsteps. I wanted to give young high schoolers the same feeling of excitement and curiosity that I received growing up.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

I have been doing this for 20 plus years, so it's nearly impossible to hammer it down to one thing. I would do an injustice to all of the great interactions I've had through the years to narrow it down to one or two instances. Recently I was cleaning out some drawers in my classroom and found the folder full of thank you notes and letters from students through the years. Those moments remind me why I do this.

What would you do with the $25,000?

As a public educator, $25,000 would probably go towards paying some bills (I'm sure that's a common answer). However I have been building coral reef tanks in my classroom/school for our marine biology class. The kids love the experience. Therefore I would probably use some of it to upgrade these tanks for the students.