Why Early Care and Education? Well, I’ll start by saying I come from a family full of educators. My Dad, Step-Mom, Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin all work or have retired from teaching. I grew up around children and teenagers who were positively impacted by the work that one of my family members was doing. There were always ‘students’ around! It was just part of my life and experiences growing up.
I still don’t understand why we ask 18-year-old kids to choose a ‘major’. When I went to college as a freshman at Appalachian State, I had no idea which direction I wanted to go. I was interested in psychology because my Grandpa would always talk about how people think- he was a salesman so he spent a lot of time figuring out how to sell his product in the stores. So, I chose psychology as a major. What I found most interesting was when I had courses about child psychology and how the brain develops. After two years at Appalachian, my Grandpa’s health was failing and I decided to move back to Greensboro so I could spend as much time with him as possible. I transferred to UNC Greensboro.
My studies at UNCG led me to a course in the Human Development and Families department where we learned about theorists and philosophies in early childhood. I was hooked! That class made me pivot and change my major to Early Childhood (Human Development and Family Studies). I graduated in 2004 with a Birth-Kindergarten Teaching License and was hired to teach at the lab school on campus. During my years teaching preschool-age children (3-5 years old) I experienced working with ‘seasoned’ teachers, reflected on many mistakes, and had the opportunity to mentor many college students in the program.
All of those unexpected experiences led me to where I am today. Teaching young children is hard work and takes a lot of intentionality. Although I miss being in the classroom every day, I hope to have a broader impact on teachers and children through the work we do at the Partnership. I hope my Grandpa would be proud!
