Denisha Williams

Connect Tell us why you became a teacher

My grandmother was a teacher, and I never thought about it until I worked at the bank. I saw a lot of adults with poor money management skills and wanted to be a math teacher. I believed that if I embedded finance in my math class, my students would become more financially literate. I also like teaching about the African history of math, something I didn't learn until I was working on my Masters degree. All students should know the true origin of mathematics and education.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable teaching experience was when I applied for a grant from the CSU Chancellor's office to run a Summer Algebra Institute at my school. The first summer, I had 50 students in the program, and last summer, we serviced 100 students. During the school year, I often had students say how much the summer program helped them improve in math. I look forward to running the program again this summer and enjoy helping students close the learning gap.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I graduate with my Doctor of Education in Teaching and Learning with an Emphasis in Adult Learning in April. I would love to take a trip to celebrate and pay off some of my student loan debt. I am also getting married next year and can use some of the money to help me plan my wedding.