Jennifer Willet

Tell us why you became a teacher

I became a teacher because it combined the 3 things that I am passionate about: working with children, American Sign Langugae/Deaf Community, and Art. My teaching has also expanded to include robotics in the last few years, and I have been able to take students to competitions and learn relevant 21st century skills for job readiness.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

How can you pick just one experience? I think one of my most memorable is when I had a student who really struggled in other areas of learning, but in art, they were able to excel and find their voice. That led to them becoming motivated to learn more on their own, experiment, and develop skills to enhance their learning as well as gain more self-confidence. I had a student this year that discovered her love of engineering and that she is capable of so much! Her confidence has grown so much!

What would you do with the $25,000?

The funds would equip me to invest in resources that can further the educational experiences of our students; the richer the experience of their education, the more rich and broad their interests and passions for their futures! My school is a residential school, and in many ways it is a 2nd home to our students. I would use some of those funds to for student-made art murals on campus that reflects our student body. I would also like to set up some grants or scholarships for future art majors.