I started this journey at 56, unsure of myself and a little nervous because it had been almost forty years since I had graduated from high school. Still, I knew it was something I needed to do to continue to be a blessing at my church’s childcare ministry, so in 2022, I became a college student for the first time.

Being an early childhood educator was not on my radar. In late 2020, I left my full-time job to work part-time at my church and have time to help my mom take care of my dad. My mom passed away in December of 2020, and my dad followed her 3 months later. I then had time, so the church’s childcare director convinced me to help; the rest is history. After I saw how children were learning, I had to learn more.

NAEYC and the T.E.A.C.H. scholarship were the best parts of my journey. I didn’t have to worry about how I would pay for my education; it was an easy process and one less thing I had to think about. I believe everything falls into place when it is supposed to, which is what happened.

The difficult part of my journey was trying to balance everything. Most weeks, I worked over 50 hours, attending classes in person and online and completing assignments while trying not to neglect my husband. I also hold my church’s Administrative Assistant and Minister of Music positions. The last semester of classes was the hardest because I wanted to be done in May and did not want to take any summer classes. I made it, graduating with a 3.77 GPA! Now that I know what I am capable of, I am on to Ball State to receive a Bachelor’s degree, and who knows what’s next? My goal is to take over the position of Director when our 83-year-old director decides she is ready to retire. I am grateful for the T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship and those who helped me navigate these past few years.

Find out more about T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Indiana.