Tell us why you became a teacher

There’s always something going on in the classroom. As a substitute teacher, I learned a lot about how to manage student students. This led to me applying for Teach for America. Many of the teachers that I worked with were surprised by how I could command a classroom like it was my own, even if I had never been in there. I subbed mostly at the same school schools. The students became familiar with me and my teaching methods and expectations. The excitement having a unique day was part of my WHY.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

I was standing in a sixth grade classroom with a group of students. This was a group I knew very well. But it was one of my first middle school sub positions. The principal came in because the room was too quiet and he wanted to make sure everything was OK. This is a school known for being pretty tough. When he walked in all the students were writing notes and I was explaining them the timeline of when Mesopotamia existed. Needless to say, he expressed later he was very impressed.

What would you do with the $25,000?

If I were to get $25,000 right now, I would use it towards the creation of our education nonprofit. This is meant to be a stem program and an academy preparation program that is open to both public and private school students student students. Almost like an enrichment program to allow students to go on field trips, participate in platform based education and be part of something bigger. The mission is to create opportunities for student students based on their future goals.