LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Tiara Paige was nominated by an anonymous colleague of three years.

Ms. Paige's love for her students is out of this world. She goes above and beyond for her students. She makes sure they never give up.

"In her class, the students believe 'can’t' is a bad word. When one of her students says 'can’t', the class would respond, 'We can do anything if we try,'" said her nominator.

Ms. Paige has been teaching low income and homeless families for years. She takes her time to do things with the kids on weekends and spends her own money. Each year, her class is filled with the most students because all the parents request their child to be in her class.  Most of the families from her class have spread the word to make sure their family and friends put their children in her class. She makes learning fun and engaging. She is always there to help and mentor other teachers without getting paid for it. Ms. Paige has done a phenomenal job with every child she works with.

After her students transition to the the next grade, they still stop by her class and give her hugs or just to come to chat. They call her on weekends and tell her everything. The relationships she builds with the families are ongoing. Even after they graduate from her school, they still come back and see her.

She also started a nonprofit organization for disadvantaged women and children. Her goal is to have a transitional home to help these mothers with life skills, education and more. She is very active in the community; she runs a coat drive, feeds the homeless and hosts a number of events for children.

"She is awesome. I could write a book about all the awesome duties she takes on as a teacher," her nominator said.