Connect Tell us why you became a teacher

I didn’t experience my first educator that looked like me, African American, until college. I suffered micro aggressions, feeling out of place, and being underestimated throughout my school experience as a young child. Growing up in Baltimore, I saw so many kids around me not have someone that cared about them “just because”. I wanted to help kids never feel alone in a world that often times looked past them. I wanted to be that “just because” person my future students lives.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

There was a male student who was the one of a few black kids in all of sixth grade. His name would constantly come up in my coworkers conversation as being “troubled” or “bad”. After class one afternoon, I sat him down and poured love into him. I told him, “I see you, and I care about you. You don’t have to do things to get my attention because you already have it.” From then on, he did a complete 180 and has been a model student. One moment, one conversation changed a child’s mindset.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I’m a single mama to two beautiful kids. I would pay off debt and invest in their future. I don’t want them to ever say they “can’t” because of money.