Tell us why you became a teacher

In high school, I had the most amazing Biology teacher. She made every day fun and made every person feel welcome and important. I wanted to be just like her and be that person for other students. I started helping my friends when they were confused or needed help in class, and seeing the spark of understanding in their eyes brought me so much joy! I decided that I wanted to keep doing this as my job when I graduated, and I pursued an education degree. I have been teaching ever since!

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable moment was when I was teaching computer classes to 6th and 7th graders. We were learning about online safety through the FBI's SOS website. Part of the site included a leaderboard for schools. If your school placed high enough, they would send an FBI agent to your school to meet your students. My students tried SO HARD, but just barely missed the cutoff. My instructional coach and I worked with our volunteer coordinator to have an FBI agent visit my students. It was so cool!

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would use the money to pay off debts for my family and finally take my kids to Disney World. They have always wanted to go, but we have never been able to afford the trip. I would love to make their dreams come true!