Alyssa Solis-Cortez

Connect Tell us why you became a teacher

I was a pretty emo kid, so the teachers who made the most impact on me were the ones who took the time to make the content funny. I decided that by being a science teacher, I could use comedy and humor to make underrepresented and disconnected students feel more connected with science and school overall.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

Students designed a business to reduce human impacts while generating a profit. One student had a stutter. He insisted on being the presenter for his group's "Shark Tank"-style pitch students had to do to present their business model. One of his group members rudely said before the pitches: "you'd better not stutter and make us lose." I said "the strength of your idea is what matters, not how you talk." His presentation won the competition by a long shot. His group cheered so loud for him.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would use the returns to help support Outward Bound Adventures, an organization that has given me the opportunity to take hundreds of students on transformative wilderness experiences.