KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Osceola County A+Teacher Carolyn Alvarez has an infectious personality, sense of humor, and style of teaching that just lights up the classroom. 

Alvarez teaches at Poinciana High School in Kissimmee.

She says, "I have a love of literature. I have a love of the English language."  

She was nominated for the unique way she reaches her students like when teaching about Shakespeare. 

She says, "And the kids are like, Oh my God! Shakespeare came up with the word swag?’ I'm like, ‘Yep, and exactly how you think it is. That's all him, honey!’"

Alvarez teaches English 1 Honors to freshmen and is also the Advanced Placement Capstone diploma instructor.

“The actual subject matter would be something akin to taking a collegiate level research course," she explains. 

Alvarez has been an instructor for a decade and has taught at Poinciana High School for five years.

When asked why she went into teaching, she replied, "I didn't. My mother chose for me."

Earning her degree from Cornell University in Pre-1800's British literature, she would continue her education and earn her master's degree.

She says, "I didn't know what I wanted to do, but I swore up and down, left and right that I didn't want to teach — that I didn't want to be a teacher."

Her mother suggested she take the teacher certification test while trying to figure things out and she was hooked. 

"I just fell in love with it. There's something about education, when it really is a right fit, you don't ever want to leave," she reflected. “When I get excited about something, it's like the kids are excited for me, maybe not always with me, but definitely for me."