Tell us why you became a teacher

I was drawn to becoming a teacher because of the beautiful influence of my twin sister, Melissa. I tried to not be a teacher in order to be different than my twin, but fate had its way as I began to follow my heart. I initially was a nursing student and ended up teaching nutrition education at elementary schools. Immediately I was drawn to educating precious children. Ironically, my twin sister and I are both teachers 4th grade in the same school district.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable teaching experience occurred when I received my first invitation to a former students college graduation from UC Santa Barbara, then 2 from UC Berkeley, and another from Stanford! Each of these amazing scholars said I impacted their lives forever. I attended all of the graduations, and still many to this day. These incredible students had no idea that the real impact that was made was on me. Seeing success in the face is what drives my desire each day to lead my students.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I have a dream to lead a drama program at my school. I want to involve students in performances on a stage in the form of plays. This is something my heart is drawn to, but I have not had the funds to implement it. This money would help tremendously to get props, stage backgrounds, sound equipment and costumes. With the remaining funds I also would like to install two more large monitors in my classroom, so students can learn from all angles.