Tell us why you became a teacher

I am a high school weight training teacher & I started lifting in high school myself. I struggled with an eating disorder & the weight room healed me in high school. I wanted to teach high school students because this age is so pivotal. I hope that the weight room can be therapeutic for my students like it was for me. I love working at a low income school, it is so rewarding and our students need us. It has been such a full circle moment for me to teach at a high school.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

I have a past student that was failing classes and selling drugs on campus when I met him. He opened up to me and he started to listen to my advice in the weight room, which then transferred over into his life. I met with our principal and she agreed to let him stay at our school as long as I was his mentor, and he is now graduated and attending community college. I always tell him that his story is the biggest win in my career. I watched him change his life & it all started in the weight room.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would use the $25,000 to support my weightlifting students. We are going to nationals for the second time this year and it’s expensive for my kids. I would love to pay their way to nationals. It would truly be life changing to be able to take care of them in that way.