Tell us why you became a teacher

There are many reasons I became a teacher. First, I grew up not have a lot of stability in my life. My teachers were my constants who were there for me through the good and bad times. I wanted to become this person for my future students. Also, I had a love for learning because of my teachers. I want to be the teacher who makes students fall in love with learning. I push my students every day to make sure that they know they can be anything that they want.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

There are so many memorable memories that I have from teaching. However, I have one that I will never forget. Last year, I had a classroom of 24 first graders. At the end of the year, I really encourage my students to try their hardest on their benchmark assessments. Because of their significant growth with their math and reading tests, I rewarded them with a water balloon party. They got to throw water balloons at me and our reading interventionists. Their growth was remarkable.

What would you do with the $25,000?

With the $25,000 I would buy more items to enhance my students learning.