Jessica Arias

Tell us why you became a teacher

As a Physical Education teacher I am able to make a positive impact in the lives of my students every day. I teach my students the value of staying active, sportsmanship, motor skills and get to incorporate literacy and math into my lessons as well. I get to see my students grow socially, emotionally and physically and become more mature learners and watch them take the skills learned in my class with them in their future learning experiences.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most memorable experience was in my 3rd year of teaching at the elementary level. I had a 3rd grade class of 25 students who had the best class culture I had ever seen. The students showed such respect for their teachers, classmates and themselves. They participated well with each other, they loved competing boys against girls in some games, they cheered each other on constantly. I ended up taking a class photo with them, buying wooden frames for each of them to decorate and keep the photo.

What would you do with the $25,000?

With the $25,000 I would invest most of it into my daughters college fund to ensure that my husband and I are giving her the best opportunity to reach her goals as she grows into a young adult and pursues her professional goals. I may save some for family emergencies that may arise to know that I can provide for my family if we get sick or need money for any medical expenses to keep us healthy.