Connect Tell us why you became a teacher

As a first generation Mexican-American, college student, and graduate, one of the most important lessons I have learned is that "hasta lo imposible es posible" (even the impossible is possible). I became a teacher because I wanted to be the role model and example for my students that I did not necessarily have throughout my own educational career. I wanted to inspire future generations to work hard for their dreams even when others may believe they are impossible to attain.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

During my first year of teaching, I was hosting NASA engineering and design challenges at my school on Saturdays. On one of those days, I asked if the students who were at school for Saturday school could participate in the challenge and I will never forget how engaged these students were for the entirety of the 4 hours while they prepared their projects and how excited they were to test them out. To this day, those students still talk about how much fun they had on a day they were dreading.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would put the money towards my student loans! As a high school science teacher, a lot of time goes in to planning innovative lessons and labs and aside from that, I also have a part time job to help me work on paying off my student loans. Winning the $25,000 would help me pay them off quicker meaning I could leave the part time jobs and focus solely on preparing my students to succeed not only in my classroom but outside of it as well.