Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher to be a change maker. I wanted to invest in my future and that starts with working with children. I remembered how I had so many teacher who invested time with me and made me feel like I could do anything. That shaped me and changed me and I wanted to do the same for others.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

I think my most memorable teaching experience is the time I had a former student come running across the school yard to tell me that she was reading on level. I had her when she was in 2nd grade and now she was on 8th. I would encourage her daily. I would give her book suggestions and talk with her about her books to foster a love for reading. She was so proud and so was I that she wanted to tell me about her achievement.

What would you do with the $25,000?

If I won the 25000 I take a vacation. It's a necessity for a teacher to recharge and prepare for the next school year. A time to invest in my mental health. I won't pretend like I won't buy some math manipulative for my class, but only after the beach.