Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher to be the change I wanted to see. When I was in junior high, I was bullied by a teacher because I was the only white and blonde haired student in my class. If I had a question because I didn’t understand the teacher would make fun of me in front of the entire class. I would go home crying. I never felt safe at school until I went to high school. I had many amazing teachers in my high school that made the learning so much fun and they genuinely care about me, they inspired me.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable teaching experience has been when my students get excited to take out their math notebooks and ask to create math posters to teach others their new strategies. My students started out the year HATING math and now they LOVE it! I also love when they ask for lunch with the teacher on Fridays and bring their friends from other classes into ours on breaks to hang out and show them the room. My classroom is a fun and safe place to learn that is welcoming to every student on campus.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I will use this money to pay off my student loans and credit card debt because I am in my Masters Program and will have a lot of debt to pay off. I have a daughter with autism, so we had to hire a nanny to watch her because daycares would not allow her. It draining all of my savings, so I went into credit card debt. This money will help me get back on my feet financially.