Connect Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because a teacher supported me through the hardest time in my life. When I needed someone to believe in me, they did. That experience showed me how powerful a caring teacher can be. It inspired my love for education and my passion for creating a classroom where students feel supported, capable, and seen. Every day, I strive to be the kind of teacher who makes students feel valued, encourages them to believe in themselves, and reminds them they are capable anything.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My 1st year of teaching was one of the toughest years of my personal and professional life. I felt like I was not doing the job of teaching justice and that I was not the teacher my students deserved, even though I was truly doing my best. Since then, I have had students from that year reach out to invite me to their graduation parties, explaining the difference I made in their life. This showed me that if I put my heart and passion first, the learning will follow. It was a life changing moment.

What would you do with the $25,000?

If I won the $25,000, I would invest it back into my classroom to create meaningful opportunities for my students. From expanding our classroom library to providing engaging learning resources and hands-on experiences, the goal would be simple: give my students the tools, support, and inspiration they need to believe in themselves and love learning. There have been so many times I wanted to create an opportunity for my students that I could not because of financial blocks.