Teaching is my second career. I was a sports apparel designer, but I wanted to bring real-world art and design into schools. As a student, I struggled and was often told I wasn’t smart until an art teacher believed in me. That changed my life. Now I help students discover their talents, build confidence, and see possibilities for their future. My classroom is a welcoming place where students grow, create, and believe in themselves.

It’s hard to choose one moment because the most meaningful ones happen in small ways every day. Former students often return and tell me that something I said, something I don’t even remember, helped change their confidence or direction in life. Watching shy students find belonging in my classroom, begin to smile, gain confidence, and discover passions they never knew they had is incredibly meaningful.

I would use the $25,000 to expand opportunities for students and multiply its impact. I would invest it into my art and design program and grow service-based projects like my Art of the Veteran initiative. These programs use art to serve veterans, troubled teens, orphans, churches and others in our community, while teaching students that their creativity and talents can be used to make a meaningful difference.