Tell us why you became a teacher

The reason why I became a teacher has changed over the years. In my early years, I became a teacher to inspire students to want to learn new things and to love to come to school each day. Over the years, the pride that I feel from the sense of belonging that is promoted in our classroom and in our school, brings me back to why I became a teacher every single day. Previous students stopping in the hallway to tell me good news or saying remember when we did this in our class always reminds me why.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable teaching experience is one that shows you that no matter how much you plan, things can always change quickly and you may need to adjust. We raised butterflies in our classroom. The class was so excited to release them and thought they could tell exactly which one was their own. When we went outside to release them, out of nowhere, a bluejay swooped down and ate one. A student started immediately singing the "Circle of Life" from the Lion King. The lesson was now resilience.

What would you do with the $25,000?

My parents are both 84 years old. They lost both of my brothers throughout the last 15 years. I would like to take them on some type of vacation. Even though they don't fly, I would like to see where in the US they would like to visit and try to drive to a few places that they would enjoy seeing. They have been wonderful grandparents to my boys, so I would like to show my gratitude for all of their help in our younger years and include my boys as well.