Gabriella Crocco

Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because while I was a student in highschool, I had two teachers who were very supportive and influenced my life a lot. They helped me so much and motivated me even when I was going through a rough time. I want to be that teacher for my students and help them succeed in life.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

I had a student who has an IEP and was always looked down on by other teachers because his grades werent always passing. He was in my AP US History class. I worked all year with him, extra help, tutoring, etc. He passed my class at the end of the year but the biggest thing is he passed the APUSH exam with a 4! Someone who was under estimated by a lot of teachers, passed my exam and I was able to help him accomplish that. He was so excited when he told me, I was very proud of him.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I am a teacher for a Holocaust and Genocide Studies class. I would use a portion of my winnings to take my students to the Holocaust museum so they can experience and learn from it. The other portion of my winnings will help me pay for my last semester of my Masters in American History.