I became a teacher because I wanted to encourage students like me who really had to work hard to be successful. I believe every child deserves to feel loved, successful, and inspired to learn. Teaching allows me to build strong relationships, spark curiosity, and help students grow not only academically, but in life. Knowing I can positively impact their future is what led me to this profession.

My most memorable experience was teaching a girl from a difficult background who struggled to trust adults. With patience and consistency, I built trust and watched her grow academically. She even said she wanted to be a teacher. When we left for Spring Break, COVID caused digital learning the rest of the year. She never logged in from home. Years later, she emailed me a photo of us. Though she had faced setbacks, we reconnected and today she is thriving in school and passing all her classes.

If I were to receive $25,000, I would allocate a significant portion toward paying off debt in order to become financially secure and debt-free. I would use the remaining funds as an opportunity to teach my daughters valuable financial literacy skills, including how to invest in the stock market and build long-term wealth through intentional saving and investing in their future.