Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because I love to give back, to help others and supporting all kinds of learners. The subject of what I wanted to teach has changed over the years; art, social studies, business, art again and now Social Studies and Science, but the end goal of teaching has always been there. Getting to see kids grow throughout the year, not just academically but also socially is an amazing experience and I'm excited to be a part of it.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

There will be a handful of kids that start the year off rough, whether it be behavior or just the mindset that they don't know as much as their peers, and this causes them to be quiet or disruptive in some cases. But then halfway through the year I start to see a switch. They start feeling comfortable, they start participating more in the lesson, and they finally find their voice. And then they let me know that my room was the one room they felt safe in. They come back and visit me all the time.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would like to use most of it to continually reorder supplies for projects over the years. Teaching both science and social studies but with a hands-on creative approach allows the students to show me more. Currently I have supplies that were donated or bought by myself for the students to use but they are dwindling down and I would like to continue to give the students who feel like they do not have the means to make a project how they want.