I became a teacher because I believe people’s lives can change when someone truly believes in them. For me, teaching isn’t about standing in front of a room and delivering information. It’s about being present for students during some of the most important years of their lives. It’s about understanding that every student walks into a classroom carrying something, doubts, fears, pressure, dreams and that what I say and how I treat them can either add to that weight or help lift it. I was chosen.

One memory from teaching 3rd grade that still lives in me was the morning my class formed a circle after recess because one student felt invisible. We held hands, and I asked them to share one light they saw in each other. By the end, that child was crying not from hurt, but from being seen. In that small room, I felt something sacred move through us, like we were all teaching each other how to belong.

If I won $25,000, I wouldn’t see it as money I’d see it as a blessing placed in my hands for a reason. I’d use it to create something beautiful for kids who feel unseen. Maybe a small reading room filled with soft pillows, warm lights, and shelves of stories where every child could find themselves in a book. I’d set aside part of it for backpacks, winter coats, art supplies little things that tell a child, you matter. I’d want at least one kid to feel the quiet relief of being cared for.