Megan Raya

Tell us why you became a teacher

I wanted to become a teacher because I highly enjoy seeing young people learn and grow and I wanted to be a part of it. I used to teach preschool students and I fell in love with teaching. I get so excited to be able to teach them and connect their world to their learning.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

When I was teaching a lesson on subtraction, I had about 9 adults in the classroom watching me teach. I was nervous and terrified. I have a fear of public speaking. I was struggling and one of my students raised their hand and said “ I don’t understand “. In that moment, I focused on what I was there for. To teach my students. Not to worry who is looking. Do whatever it takes to teach them what they need to be successful

What would you do with the $25,000?

If I am able to, I would use this money to pay off my student loans. If I could pay off my student loans, I could focus more of my cognitive load on helping my students. I want to fund my book club, which has students all from fourth grade and stick a toiletry pantry for my students