Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because my sister is a teacher and I could see that she made a huge difference, even if she always came home exhausted. When she became frustrated, it was because she cared so much, and when she had a major breakthrough with her students, it had the ability to make her whole day brighter.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable teaching experience so far has been when I taught middle school students how to crochet. They were to crochet baby blankets to be donated to the NICU departments of hospitals. They became so enamored with the craft that they went above and beyond and made even more blankets than they were asked to, just so that they could pass along some extra love to those who needed it the most.

What would you do with the $25,000?

If I won $25,000, undoubtedly some of it would end up going back into my classroom and to my students. With the rest, I would love to take my family on a vacation because we haven't been able to go on one as a family yet. My kids are young, and because teachers can only REALLY travel during the summers, and accommodations are very expensive during that time, it's been hard to find a place to visit and relax with them.