Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher to change the world. I'm battling breast cancer for the second time and miss my students immensely. I always wanted to work with kids. I had a great teacher in elementary school named Mrs. Evans. She was a cool, funky chorus teacher. I looked up to her. She also suffered from breast cancer and unfortunately lost her battle. I looked forward to her class all the time. Now I hear from my students how they look up to me and look forward to my class. Our youth has so much to offer

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable teaching experience would probably have to be when I told my middle school students that my cancer had returned and that I would be taking a leave of absence. The room went silent. Their faces spoke volumes. Almost every kid knew someone or had a family member that had or lost their battle with cancer. Their young hearts were exploding with love and empathy. I have been teaching on the arts for over 20 years. Their love and compassion helps me to continue to fight.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would use the $25,000 to help strengthen my Arts Department at my school. The Arts are so vital in my opinion to the growth of our youth. Not every student is an academic. Everyone has their strengths. The arts allow our students to express themselves through various mediums. The arts also enables our students to thrive in other subject areas of school as well as in the world around them. We are living in troubled times. The arts foster imagination and creativity.