From high school dropout to teacher of the year

At one point, Joy Wagner was a high school dropout — living on food stamps and selling plasma just to make ends meet.

Now she’s Houston’s Teacher of the Year.

Wagner was the divorced mother of two children when she decided to go back to school.

“I'd ride my bike 5 miles to the school,” she told Fox Houston. “My backpack was on my back and my baby's in the seat and I'd drop her off at daycare.”

She takes her experiences to school with her, where she often finds students who are having similar struggles.

“I've been there. So I understand,” she said.