I wanted to become a teacher to make an impact on students. I feel like everyone should receive a good education, regardless of their socioeconomic status or their background.

I was definitely inspired by the amazing teachers that I had at my school. They were not only good at teaching the content, but made me feel seen and made me feel valued in that class, especially as a student who was very quiet.

The relationships and those bonds that you form with students is something that I find really, really rewarding because I think at the end of the day, you see the impact that you're making in the classroom. And being able to see that is so important for anyone in any career.

I'm very lucky to work in a school that’s really supportive. I get to do really creative things in my classroom and I make science super exciting.

When you have those ‘aha’ moments with students and the joy that they get from that is just really, really rewarding as a teacher.

My name is Stella and I teach in a New South Wales public school.