Athena Fream
University of Maryland
“I want to be a teacher because I love learning and I want to nurture that in others.”
Benjamin Reyes
Western New Mexico University
“I want my students to know the value of being bilingual, the importance of earning an education, and see themselves as productive members of our community.”
Deshonda Lemon
Mercer University
“I realize how important teaching is and the impact I can have on my students. I’m able to be an educator, mother figure, coach, friend, or whatever my students need to help them.”
Elizabeth Christovich
Purdue University
“Every moment I have with a child further inspires my desire to teach.”
Gabriela Larios
University of Nevada Reno
“When a struggling student said, ‘Thank you for helping me with math. I finally like it,’ I knew why I wanted to be a teacher.”
Lucy Mohler
Kansas State University
“I am eager to reciprocate the hard work my fourth grade teacher put into teaching me. This teacher cared about my mental health and instilled in me the desire to learn.”
Payton Williams
Coastal Carolina University
“I believe the trait of passion guides a successful teacher’s career—a passion for children, a passion for working, and a passion for learning.”
Rachel Gydesen
University of Minnesota Duluth
“I enjoyed watching the young athletes set goals, work hard, and then attain that goal. Seeing a child achieve a skill that had been a struggle and knowing my coaching helped them was very rewarding.”