Tell us why you became a teacher

I remembered so many of my own teachers who had such an impact in my life. I wanted to be that person who mattered in a child's life. I wanted to make the world a better place. I wanted to bring positivity and joy into a student's life that maybe just needed a positive model.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

I can't choose just one, but when my students find me years later and tell me I was always their favorite teacher, and that I had helped them through a really tough time...that is when I knew I had done what I had been called to do.

What would you do with the $25,000?

Probably take an extra vacation and then pour it right back into my classroom! That is where most my extra money goes anyway!!! I would like to pay off medical bills from having just gone through breast cancer.