RICHMOND HILL, Ga. (WTOC) - “I teach 6th grade science at Richmond Hill Middle School. I try to do lots of hands on learning, lots of labs to really get them engaged. Right now, we are modeling seasons with play dough and moving it around the sun, so instead of them just looking at a diagram, they are having that hands on experience with the activity. I want them to be challenged, in that, they can do the hard things. They are able to fail sometimes, and that is just a part of the learning process. This is really their first introduction to science, and I hope they really grow to love and can do science, even though it is one of those harder subjects, they can all enjoy and all be a part of,” said Audra Esquivel.

“I nominated her because she teaches everyone like her best friend,” said Hunter Dunbar, one of her students. " She helped me with work, when I was stuck and it was life changing."

“I want the students to know that I love them and that I’m rooting for them. That I’m in their corner always for them to be successful in school. I’m teaching at the middle school I went to, so it’s a big full circle moment. My mom used to teach here, she is now retired. A lot of the teachers that I had are the ones teaching here as well. So it’s a very big circle coming back to the county I grew up in. I think it has definitely helped me, in my first couple of years teaching because I know what the school system is about, I know the values and can contribute to it,” said Esquivel.