Tell us why you became a teacher

As a high school student I volunteered with children facing extraordinary challenges including blindness, deafness, and severe autism. I saw how powerful it was when someone simply showed up with patience and belief in them. Small moments of encouragement could change a child’s entire day and sometimes their sense of what was possible. That experience showed me the impact a caring adult can have and inspired me to become a teacher.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

After Hurricane Katrina two displaced students joined my class. They came from my own high school, and the teachers they had just been separated from were the same teachers who had taught me. Through them I reconnected with those teachers, and they became the bridge between our past and present. In the middle of loss and uncertainty we rebuilt a sense of belonging and shared history. It reminded me that schools are communities that carry us through difficult times.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would invest it in growth and joy for both my students and myself. I would take a professional development trip to Patagonia to deepen my understanding of language, culture, and storytelling and bring those lessons back to my classroom. I would purchase a new computer to design better learning materials, celebrate my students with a taco truck day, and begin building an app that helps Spanish teachers create engaging real world language experiences.