Tell us why you became a teacher

I see science as beautiful, creative, joyful, and fascinating. I want my students to experience that too. I live for those “Oh!” moments when things click together for the first time, days when students can confidently teach their friends the content they didn’t understand last week. I love turning “I can’t do this” into “look what I just did”. I love sparking their curiosity and watching them ask their own questions. Sometimes I get so excited teaching that my smartwatch thinks I’m exercising.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

I was just doing my grocery shopping. A young woman stopped me and asked if I had been her 8th grade teacher (I had). She shocked me when she burst into tears and told me that I’d been a role model to her in a very tough part of her life. I had made her feel strong and capable because I encouraged her to keep trying. If I ever feel like I’m not giving and doing enough, I think about this moment and know just being me made a difference.

What would you do with the $25,000?

It isn’t tremendously glamourous, but I’d use the 25,000 to pay down medical bills and debt. My eldest child is in college, and I want to put our family in a space where we can afford for my youngest to attend college as well. While I love this job, there is no overtime. No matter how hard or how long you work, there is no additional compensation. Having enough money to pay off a few bills would make a world of difference in our lives and my children’s futures.