Connect Tell us why you became a teacher

When I was 13, my family lived in a transient hotel.my parents were involved in drugs and we were struggling. A teacher took an interest in me and made me feel like my life was worth something. I need to pay it forward.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

Everyday is memorable, but one specific incident was when a parent introduced their student and told me that they weren’t any good at math. I remember saying, “she’s looks like a Mathematician to me.” She suddenly beamed with pride. By the end of the year, she was ahead of her peers and scored top scores on the end year assessment.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would use it to help cover the adoption costs of my current foster kids. They are 9 and 12 and amazing! Whatever is left would go to finish paying off my student loans.