Tearjerker alert: Teachers, far too often, are underpaid and underappreciated. But neither is the case for Illinois high school teacher Colby Burnett, 29, who took home a $100,000 prize this month at Jeopardy's Teachers' Tournament.
Not only did he get the cash — which he says he plans to use to help his mother — but he credits his success to support from his students, who even made encouraging videos for him during the competition.
"They're very happy for me," the 29-year-old said. "It's nothing but overwhelming support," Burnett told the Chicago Tribune. An alumnus of Fenwick High School himself, Burnett plans to use his winnings to move his mother, Wilma Green, from her current Chicago residence back to Oak Park, where she used to live.
"My mother has sacrificed so much and never complained," he told the Chicago Tribune. "If I could repay that in kind, that'd be great."
Watch video of the kids screening Burnett's win.
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