Who or what influenced you to be a teacher?
I was influenced to become a teacher by discovering the realities of the achievement gap in our school systems across the country. I wanted to teach students that grew up in historically low-income and minority neighborhoods in order to decrease the achievement gap and positively influence students’ lives.

What are the biggest challenges you face as a teacher?
As all teachers now, there is always something you could be doing for your students and classroom. Whether it is grading papers, making tests or planning for instruction, there is always work to be done. A big challenge for me as a beginning teacher was having a healthy work/life balance. It is important to be able to separate work from home, but it is so difficult when you are working with incredible, passionate students.

What intrigued you about the opportunities with Teach For America?
I was impressed by Teach For America because of how they were solving the issues of educational inequality. They were very focused on recruiting great talent to teach children, training those teachers intensely and setting up support systems to prioritize the student’s achievement.

What’s one interesting thing your students don’t know about you?
I spent three months studying in Japan and can speak, write and read Japanese.

Subject
First Grade

School
Nathaniel Alexander Elementary School in Charlotte, NC.

Years Teaching
2 years

Education
I graduated from the University of Kentucky in May of 2008. My degree was in International Economics and Japanese Language/Culture.

Favorite Bobcats player
My favorite player is Raymond Felton because he has been a solid, team player since arriving in Charlotte. I like his style as well - good court vision, a crisp passer of the ball and strong burst to the basket.