Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because I know what it feels like to find your voice—and what it feels like to lose it. As a child, I stood frozen at a chalkboard until a teacher placed confidence in my hands and changed everything. From that moment on, literacy became part of my identity. I believe every student has a voice and a story, and it’s our responsibility to help them find it, trust it, and use it.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

The most meaningful moments in my classroom are not always loud—they’re quiet shifts. It’s the student who once hesitated, then suddenly writes with clarity, speaks with confidence, or defends their thinking without apology. Watching students reclaim their voice reminds me that literacy is more than a skill—it’s identity, confidence, and power.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would invest in creating a classroom where literacy is not just taught, but lived. Expanding access to meaningful texts, strengthening writing instruction, and building opportunities for students to express their ideas authentically. Every resource would center on one goal: ensuring students don’t just learn to read and write—but learn to see themselves as thinkers, storytellers, and voices that matter.