Stephanie Schmitt

Tell us why you became a teacher

When I started college I was unsure about what I wanted to do. All I knew was, I wanted to work with children! Initially, I thought maybe a pediatrician. When I started the coursework, I realized this was not for me. My sister encouraged me to find a spot to volunteer, maybe in a school setting, to see if I liked it. She was actually a first grade teacher, so I was lucky enough to be in her room. After a few weeks, I decided it was definitely the right fit! I loved everything about it!

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable moment was when I got to loop from kindergarten to first grade with my same class. Over the summer, I did home visits to each student's house to learn more about them. The students absolutely loved it! They were all so proud of their home and family and wanted to show it off to me. We read books and played games together. I had such a fun experience being able to learn more about my families in their environments. It was very beneficial to me!

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would do many things. First, I would do a family trip with my husband and two children as we have not done anything in quite some time. I would also use some of the funds to buy items/resources for my classroom that the school is unable to budget for- things I believe would be beneficial and supportive to my students' learning. For example, more maniplatives. Lastly I would save some of the funds and put them into an account we have started for my own children and their future education.