Tell us why you became a teacher

Ever since I was a kid I desired to become a teacher because of my Art Teacher, Evelyn Douglas, and Larry Rippee of Oklahoma City's Millwood High School. Both showed me how to learn based on my own experiences.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

A young lady of 10, filled with anger and aggression, told me she couldn't learn Math and Science. I told her she could, and with anger she threw the Math book at me. I calmly approach her, asked her a question about where she lived and she explained how to get to her house from school. I illustrated what she said on a graph and she was surprised on how integers actually was a road map she uses everyday. She turned, apologized, and desired to know more.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would use the winning funds to purchase classroom materials for the fourth and fifth grade team, while sharing with my peers on how manipulatives can actually help our children with their own auditory, visual, and kinesthetic forms of learning.