Tell us why you became a teacher

Teaching is my way to give back and fight back. Education is my legacy and my way to "fight the good fight," by making sure marginalized young people have more opportunity. My mother shares the mental health diagnosis that many of my current students do, and by finding a path for my kids in the classroom, I am honoring my mom and her struggle in school. My mom never got to go to college, people told her and she believed she "wasn't smart enough." Every day, I help kids like her DO MORE!

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

This year my students begged to have a Minecraft Team, so I agreed to coach them and apply to compete in the Battle of the Boroughs. Aside from being asked to code and build collaboratively in Minecraft students are tasked with challenges in making our city more inclusive, accessible and environmentally sustainable as well as present there build to the judges. My special needs students competed against all the general ed schools of Brooklyn and WON, proving that our kids are just as capable.

What would you do with the $25,000?

My students are my family, so if $25,000 fell into my lap, I'd love to rent a bus and take everyone to Bear Mountain in upstate New York. It's the closest state park, and I feel like my Brooklyn kids don't get to leave the city often enough. I'd love to rent cabins and get a plethora of BBQ food for us so we could all enjoy time in nature. I dream of hiking, sketching the natural beauty of the mountain, campfires and reflections from Beaver pond. Leftover money would go to my daughter's 529.