Tell us why you became a teacher

I believe that teaching students social-emotional skills are just as important as teaching them academic skills and grade level standards. If our youth can develop social-emotional skills early, they'll be able to carry these skills throughout their lives. They'll be able to manage their emotions and problem solve effectively which will benefit them in the post-secondary world. And that is my main goal; preparing youth for life after school.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

I had a 4th grade student who was struggling with keeping her emotions inside and not letting anyone in to help her. I was able to build rapport and help her learn how to express herself. She ended up telling me she was struggling with self harm. I was able to get her the help she needed, and although she was mad at me for awhile for telling her mom, a couple of months later she wrote me a letter and came to my office to thank me for helping her and that was in a much better place mentally.

What would you do with the $25,000?

As selfish as it sounds, some of that money would go to my personal savings so I can invest in myself. However, I would use a majority of the money to fund a redesigned counseling space at my school as well as purchasing schoolwide SEL curriculum that can be used year after year. I would also discuss with admin ways to use the money that would benefit the school as a whole.