Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because of all of the teachers who have helped me in the past. I felt their love and passion, and I wanted to do the for our future generations. There is no better feeling than a teacher's love. My teachers loved me and supported me even though I was "that" student who could not sit still and on top of it all, did not understand any of the content. They were patient with me, and I know that now it is my turn to do that for my kids.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable teaching experience was this past spring, during graduation, the Valedictorian spoke and reflected on a lesson I had done in fourth grade. It was one of my favorite lessons to teach. This student used the lesson in her speech to reaffirm her classmates that it is okay if you don't know what career you want to do but enjoy the journey and continue to learn through it all. The student spotted me in the card and had me stand up to let me know the impact that I had on every student

What would you do with the $25,000?

With being an educator, I would love to pay off my education loan and go back and get my PhD. I would rather pay it out of pocket than depend on the school district to pay for it. I would like to put more money back into my classroom. I would like to not have to worry about how to pay for supplies and manipulatives that the school district will not provide or budget for the teachers. We are a title one school with over population.