Tell us why you became a teacher

I had no clue why I was becoming a teacher in the beginning. Now I can say that the reason why I am a teacher is to possibly change the course of someone's life. Sorry that sounds like I'm full of myself. I'm not. I just want the students that come through my door, day after day, to know that I see them. That someone knows who they are as a person. That someone understands all the crazy chaos they are feeling or going through. I want them to know that they are not alone.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable teaching experience has nothing to do with academics. One morning I opened an email from the father of one of my students. He told me his son had passed away accidentally that night. The week that followed was a very emotional one for myself, but especially for my students. He was a joyful, precocious young man who embraced life. I like to bottle up my emotions, but in the week that followed I cried with my students and shared in a communal grief. I have been forever changed.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would use some of the money as a down payment to buy a house. I would also set up a fund to help some of the students at my school be able to go on the big field trip to Washington D.C. Our school is a Title 1 school and most students do fundraisers to help pay for the trip. However, there are some students who aren't able to do that and miss out on the trip. These are the same students who will probably never experience traveling out of Arizona. I would like to see more of them get to go.