Tell us why you became a teacher

I love people! I love being around others and the feeling of seeing everyone around me happy and successful is what led me to teaching. That feeling I get from seeing the faces of children realize their potential and that they understand a new concept is fulfilling.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

This year I have been teaching kindergarten for the first time. Recently, we have been pushing to get the kiddos to realize they are reading simple stories on their own. When I say out loud after they have read a sentence, “ you did it by yourself,” the students’ faces light up and they feel so proud of themselves.

What would you do with the $25,000?

The first thing I’d love to do is make over my classroom so it’s efficient and fun for the students. I’d love to create a butterfly garden for the school. I would love to get the parents and community involved in the garden so we could grow it for future generations to tend to. We have a fantastic community and the garden would be successful and bring the community together. Maybe it would create a community hub for all to connect and grow.