"Empowering students to overcome obstacles, break barriers, have difficult conversations, and stand up for what they believe is right is truly a rewarding experience. As a recipient of the Stand Up For Justice award, I believe that this award does not solely go to me -- it represents all of the hard work that my students did over the past year. The students are the real winners. They are the ones who stood up as leaders in their community to embark on a journey that tested their personal beliefs and put them in challenging situations to have real conversations about difficult topics. In the end, THEY knew that they made a difference. As an educator, that's what brings me the most joy."