Vanessa Arboleda

Tell us why you became a teacher

I love to learn, so much so that it was very difficult to choose just one major to focus on in school. I wanted to learn about everything that interested me. I also knew that I really wanted to work with kids. The beauty of teaching is that I get to be a career student. I get to learn about new things everyday in order to best teach my students. So I am not simply a teacher, but also a scientist, an artist, a therapist of sorts, an author, a designer, and so many more things everyday.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

During my first year of teaching I had a group of 4th graders. The students had to create a castle using any materials they wished. This same year I also had a student who really struggled to get work done. This project, however, allowed him to interpret the assignment in his own way. He built a castle on minecraft, complete with village. His mom took a video of him taking me through his castle while he labeled every part. It really taught me to allow students to shine using their own strengths.

What would you do with the $25,000?

$25,000 would make a huge difference in my families life. We just had baby number 3 and are currently living in a 2 bedroom townhouse. Trying to play catch up with hospital bills and the rising cost of living has left us without the option of moving into a bigger space. The money would mean that we could put a downpayment on a bigger place for our family to call home.