Carolyn Ruiz Diaz

Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher shape the future. Teaching keeps me young at heart. Everyday I wake up excited to go to work. Some days go great and I can see the light bulb go on when true learning occurs. Other days, especially when there is a full moon don’t go so great. The lesson plan flops or there is an unscheduled assembly. I believe that we learn from are mistakes. My students are great teachers. I learn from them especially when it comes to technology. I teach to touch to touch the future.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

Life teaches us to be resilient. A memorable teaching experience that I will never forget when I had to read my students goodbye letters to Dalton. A former Spanish I student who passed away in an ATV accident. He was fourteen. The whole school attended the funeral. He had signed an organ donation card. He helped a lot of people live. He wrote a letter to a friend about Day of the Dead the day before he died. He said he wanted basketball and baseball on his altar. We honored his request.

What would you do with the $25,000?

If I won $25,000 I would pay off my house and some other bills. I would take my husband on a dream second honeymoon to Hawaii for our 25th wedding anniversary. We would frolic in the waves and attend a luau. Oh an I would love lei when I step off the plane. I am a public servant who has taught for 26 years I knew when I got into to education it was for the outcome not for the income but a small offering of flowers would be nice.