Sam Cheshier

Tell us why you became a teacher

I was originally a nursing major, but decided to switch to education because even though in nursing I’m healing people, I felt educating students gave me an opportunity to help kids become better people overall. I wanted to make an impact on others that would last years.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

One year an English teacher had students write thank you notes to their favorite teachers. It was my second year teaching and I did not expect much. However, I was absolutely overwhelmed with the amount of thank you notes I received. I couldn’t hold back the tears as I read every single one. Even students who hardly spoke were explaining how I had helped them through a tough time without me even knowing, just by being myself and making my class a safe and fun environment for them.

What would you do with the $25,000?

Honestly, I need the money to pay off student loans. It’s like a cloud hanging over me and sometimes the payments cause me to cut spending in other areas and sometimes that means I can’t buy the snacks and prizes my kids love to earn in class.