Tell us why you became a teacher

When I was in high school, I had a teacher who made me feel valued and seen. She helped me discover the power of hard work and the accomplishment you feel when mastering something. She had passion for a subject that I had a hard time with: Calculus. She inspired me to discover my passions and use that passion to help others as much as I can. I feel in love with the depth of science. I use that passion in my teaching. I try everyday to teach in the way I think that would make Ms. Wade proud.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

Imagine a 200 ft long giant DNA strand made out of pool noodles by my students. That is my memorable teaching experience. This year I have had the opportunity to work with a team of teachers to create opportunities to have students experience the overlap of our subjects. In our first quarter, the students created a DNA strand that displayed different nucleotides showing their genetic heritage, the history of the areas of their ancestors, and a narrative a god/goddess in that time period.

What would you do with the $25,000?

The life of a teacher is never one that is alone. It is endless nights of support from loved ones cutting lamination sheets, coworkers brainstorming with you over late night texts, and relatives randomly gifting you school supplies. I think at my point in this career, I deserve to take all those loved ones to dinner to say thank you for putting up with the crazy associated with passionate education.