Tell us why you became a teacher

became a teacher because I wanted to serve students who are too often overlooked. As a special education teacher in an ITP classroom, I work with students facing significant academic, behavioral, emotional, and developmental challenges. Many need far more than instruction alone. I became a teacher to be a constant source of structure, belief, and support for students who need someone willing to meet them where they are and fight for their growth every day.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable teaching experience was watching a student in my ITP classroom, who began the year angry, disengaged, and resistant to school, slowly learn to trust the classroom, trust me, and trust himself. After months of intense support, consistency, redirection, and encouragement, he completed an assignment independently and felt proud of himself. In special education, those hard-earned breakthroughs mean everything. That moment reminded me why this work matters so deeply.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would use the $25,000 to expand the support and opportunities available to my students in our ITP classroom. My students have complex learning, behavioral, and emotional needs, and they deserve resources that truly match those demands. I would invest in adaptive materials, sensory tools, life-skills and vocational resources, classroom technology, community-based learning experiences, and programs that help students build independence, confidence, and real-world readiness.