Connect Tell us why you became a teacher

My college professor was planning to do a cow eye dissection with elementary kids on a school visit. As anticipated, the kids were initially all grossed out... then I pulled out the lens and they got over the “ick” factor really quickly and started saying “OH THAT'S SO COOL!”. They took it from there and were so excited. Instantly I was HOOKED!!! I loved that feeling of kids getting excited about the science that I was showing them.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

One of my most memorable teaching experiences was when I started the Girls Excited about Math and Science (GEMS) after school club at the middle school where I was teaching at the time. The very first session I only had 2 ladies that attended. Each week I ended up getting double the participants as each person brought a friend the following week. High school students found out about the club and began coming to volunteer each week.

What would you do with the $25,000?

If I won $25,000, I would take my entire National Parks biology & geology class to Yellowstone National Park! Nicknamed "Parks & Rec", the PE teacher and I teach a joint course where students learn about the science of the NPS along with outdoor education. Our final "exam" is a camping trip to a nearby National Park for the weekend. I'd love to get my kids to the Park that started it all!