Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because after volunteer tutoring I felt inspired and fulfilled by connecting with and guiding children. It immediately felt intuitive and natural. My mother had been an inspiring teacher who changed the lives of her high school students and I was drawn to that magic. I believe everyone deserves a champion. Sometimes all a student needs is one committed adult who believes in them and helps them to find the confidence to believe in themselves.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

A student I had when teaching fifth grade in NOLA started the year bullied and afraid of people. After a year of consistent one on one lunches, morning meetings as a class and high expectations, this boy ended the year leading our class meetings and thriving in friendships. He felt seen, safe and nurtured and felt confident enough to take risks he hasn't before. It was my first year teaching and solidified my consistent commitment to restorative, responsive, rigorous practices.

What would you do with the $25,000?

This kind of money would ensure my vision of a truly equitable, inclusive classroom could be realized. I would purchase flexible seating, subsidize time adapting curriculum and purchase tools to ensure every student—special ed or not—can access learning. This could include specialized technology and interactive software to enable students access to modified grade level content. This would enable me to buy snacks for my classroom for the year so no one goes hungry.