Tatiana Ortega

Tell us why you became a teacher

I didn't have a solidified idea of what I wanted to do in my career, but I did know I wanted to help people. The main reason my heart fell onto teaching, however, was because of my 3rd grade teacher. Being a 3rd grade teacher myself now, I hold her skills in academics and loving nature dear to my heart. I became a teacher so that I could not only teach my students, but to make them feel the love, the care, and the support that she once gave me. Every child deserves that kind of care.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable teaching experience was in my first year of teaching. Any teacher knows that their first year of teaching is not perfect, and we often wish we could redo it. I taught 4th grade and was helping a student with math when she said, "Oh my God, I get it!", looked up at me and continued, "You're an awesome teacher." I wanted to cry because of how proud I was of her, and because of how simple, yet how powerful, her words meant to me.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I am currently progressing in my education in an SBL/SDL program. The money will be put toward furthering my education to continue my passion in teaching not just children, but other aspiring teachers on how to be effective in the classroom.