Tell us why you became a teacher

I graduated high school and had no idea what I wanted to do. At the young age of 18, making money seemed like the only important thing in life. I majored in nursing and realized it was not what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I wanted to walk into my job every day and leave knowing I was happy. I looked back at the many inspiring, hardworking, and dedicated teachers that helped changed my life. I knew in that exact moment I wanted to become a teacher.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

I feel like for a lot of people, their most memorable teaching experience is helping a struggling student or a successful lesson. Mine was the day everything was going wrong. My board wasn't working, I didn't make enough copies, and to put the icing on the cake, I was teaching the lesson wrong. The reason it's my most memorable moment is because at the end of the day a student said, "You did an amazing job today Mrs. Wallace." And in a day like that, it was all I needed to leave with a smile.

What would you do with the $25,000?

The right answer seems like spending it on my classroom, but if I'm being honest, I would use the $25,000 to get my dream kitchen. My husband and I bought our dream home a little over 3 years ago, and while it was a dream for us, it was an extreme fixer upper, but it didn't matter, we were happy to have a place to call our own. Most of my paycheck goes towards bills, but any extra money I always find myself spending it on my classroom. I'd love to do something for me!