Tell us why you became a teacher

I needed special education services growing up and I was really close with my special education teacher. She led me into teaching by setting me up in a nonverbal life skills classroom my senior year of high school. I fell in love with those kids!

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My first full year teaching during the 2023-2024 school year with my first grade class. I had two students who struggled with letter identification and sound. They were at an Early Kindergarten level but by the end of the school year they reached beginning 1st grade. One student was able to identify all 26 letters of the alphabet. One student was able to name 15 letter sounds compared to not being able to name one sound at the beginning of the year.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would pay off my student loans, donate money to the Epilepsy Foundation that is near and dear to me. I would save money so I can buy a home for myself instead of renting and design the house how I want it.