MELBOURNE, Fla. — Brevard County teacher Regina Graham was nominated as an A+Teacher for the connections she has with her students. 

Graham teaches at Sherwood Elementary School in Melbourne. "I enjoy school a lot and I feel like they do too." 


What You Need To Know

  • Regina Graham teaches at Sherwood Elementary School

  • Helping her cousin in the Philippines made her decide to go into teaching

  • Discover more A+ Teachers right here

Graham says her greatest joy is the time she spends teaching her first graders. "Yes they're not my kids - but in the classroom they're my kids." 

Graham almost skipped a career in education, but while on summer break from college she visited the Philippines, where her mother is from, and was stunned to learn one of her cousins wasn't attending school.

"So I said we're going to do school at your house and so we did that," she said.​" I would do little tests for him and things like that. He got everything correct one time and he was so excited and I was so excited and so that was that moment that I was like OK. I came back to America — changed my major and I kind of never looked back."

Graham, who grew up in Brevard County, now focuses on each of her Central Florida student's futures.

"Seeing the growth — not just physical but like their social and emotional — the academic growth," she said. "You just see so much. I enjoy the relationships. I enjoy having the opportunity to teach them skills that they will use for the rest of their life."

Meanwhile her cousin in the Philippines graduated from the sixth grade last year despite being teased for being the oldest and the tallest in his class. She says he refused to break his promise to her to stay in school. 

"He is doing great and continuing going to school," Graham said. "He had some tough days with unkind classmates, but he kept with it! I am so proud of him for facing adversity especially for being so far behind, but jumping right in to fulfill his promise to me and to reach his goals. My dream is to be able to go back to the Philippines and see him graduate from high school and eventually college. He has a long way to go, but I have no doubt he will get there. I hope he is proud of me too! "