Tell us why you became a teacher

When I was little, I didn’t play with dolls. I played school with my neighbors. I had no idea what I wanted to teach, but I knew I wanted to teach. When I took algebra one I don’t know if it was the teacher or my brain was just ready, but everything clicked. I understood math clearly, and I could explain it to my classmates in a way to help them understand.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

One summer I was teaching summer school in a different building. We worked very hard on being comfortable advocating for themselves when they didn’t understand. I had one young lady who was pregnant and considering dropping out of school because she didn’t think she could complete her last math requirement. She gained enough confidence during one month with me that she stayed in school and then continued to college. I later went to her baby shower.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would probably start some educational savings for my grandbabies.