Tell us why you became a teacher

I had many teachers who inspired me to be the best version of myself. I wouldn't be who I am today without them, specifically my science teachers. I wanted to be a teacher to do what these teachers did for me, inspire and empower my students to become the best versions of themselves, both in and outside the classroom. I love to inspire creative thinking while also applying real world experiences. I wanted to also be a teacher so students know someone is in their corner and wants them to succeed.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

I created a Genetics Olympic review game for the unit we were teaching. The students were extremely engaged and enjoyed the review and, afterward, told me it was one of the best reviews they ever did. This is tied for an experience I had with old students writing to me thanking me for all the help and preparing them for their high school classes. It was heartfelt to hear from students and how much I had impacted and shaped their learning.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would use some of it to pay off my student loans, honestly. But the rest of it I would love to use to bring more interactions into my classroom, such as a trout program where students can raise and then release trout. I would also like to bring a greenhouse into my classroom to help students visualize and understand more about greenhouse gases as well as photosynthesis. If any was left, I would also buy a DNA electrophoresis machine so students could run an interactive DNA extraction lab.