Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because my 8th grade algebra 1 teacher Ms. Larika Brown was a huge inspiration for me. She showed me what an amazing teacher is like in the classroom and how important teaching is for the community and how lucky we are to have the opportunity to learn. Education is crucial to becoming successful in life and we can’t forget the impact it has on our next generation!

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

One year, I was given a class of 35 students who had all newly immigrated to the United States. Their primary language was Spanish and I was teaching 8th grade Math. Their beginning of the year test class average was around a 33. I had to teach myself Spanish to communicate with them and they had to work hard to learn the math and the English necessary to complete the work. By March, their class average on the same exam was a 78. I was so proud of them for how much they achieved!

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would spend the $25,000 on improving the quality of materials, white boards, bulletin boards, chairs/desks in my classroom. I would redecorate and renovate the cafeteria because students dislike going there to eat. I would then use any remainder to pay off some of my student loans as I have many and don’t make enough to put a real dent in them.