St Claire Adriaan, the co-founder and co-principal of Success Preparatory Academy in New Orleans, Louisiana, has won many awards including the Disney Teacher Award Honoree (2006), San Diego CW5 Dream Classroom winner (2006) and University of Kentucky Teacher who made a difference (2006 and 2007) to name a few.

What is your background?
I am a teacher with various degrees from the University of PE, where I grew up. I moved to North Carolina with the Visiting International Faculty (VIF) programme in 1999. I have been in the US for 10 years, at various schools in Chicago, San Diego and Cleveland.

How did you get into teaching?
I always wanted to be a teacher as a result of inspirational teachers at my high school. I went directly into teaching after varsity.

How did you come to be a principal?
I was recruited as one of five from a large pool of applicants to come to New Orleans post-Katrina, to further the charter school movement (public schools which are privately run). We took over failing schools, turned them into charter schools and now we have to raise the bar with student achievement.

What do you love about teaching?
I love getting up every morning knowing that I am going to teach students something that they did not know, in an exciting and engaging way. I love shaping young lives, instilling a love for books, education and learning as well as serving others and then following each and every one of my students as they climb the mountain to college.

What advice would you give to anyone aspiring to be a teacher?
There is not a more rewarding vocation on earth than teaching. Imagine that a nation’s future is entrusted in your hands to teach, develop, mould, mentor and inspire! You have no idea which one of your students will one day become president, a world renown surgeon or is just destined for greatness. Every day you can make a difference!