When I was a student in school I was very shy, didn't have many friends and struggled in school. 5th grade was when this all changed for me. My 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Gales inspired me to become a teacher. She helped me grow my confidence and I came out of my shell that year. I became more outgoing, made friends, and started participating more. I even performed in the talent show singing, something I thought I would never do! I knew that I wanted to become that inspiration for others.

My favorite memory is "Friday STEAM Labs" with my 2nd graders. Every Friday we had a hands-on STEAM lab. Watching my students so engaged in these STEAM labs, working in groups and learning topics truly makes me so happy. Seeing students who usually struggled with traditional lessons transform into confident engineers and artists was incredible. For Halloween I always do an "exploding pumpkin." They were memorized by this chemical reaction and wanted to explore this type of science more.

As a 6th grade science teacher in a title 1 school, I would love to give back to families in need in our school community. Many students are low on supplies and resources. I would love to help these students specifically. I would also invest a portion of the money into my curriculum. I’d build a "Discovery Lab" filled with hands-on kits and tech that our budget can't cover.