Renee Bonilla

Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because I always wanted to work with children. They see the world in such creative and amazing ways and I wanted to be a part of that. I also wanted to make a difference in someone's life and be able to share the knowledge I've gained over the years with them.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable teaching experience was when my class of 2nd graders was learning about pollination and they got to raise butterflies. The amount of excitement and desire to learn was evident in their eyes. They were so eager to see what was going to happen next. It made me excited to go to work because I knew how excited they were.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would like to use some of the money to take my own children on a vacation. They haven't seen much of the world and I would love to inspire a love of exploration and travel in both of them. I would also use some of the money to improve my classroom and make it more of an environment for project-based learning and exploration since I teach gifted learners.