Student:  I did my practicums for my AA in Head Start programs and right away felt like I was meant to work in this field and this kind of program specifically. My mentor teacher was a Latina woman, and we served mostly Latino families in the area and this was meaningful for me. It was empowering to see everyone working so hard together around the experience for the child. I loved being a learner alongside the children.

Reflective Practitioner: I felt like I had landed in a dream world when I joined the teaching team at a Reggio-inspired program grounded in an anti-bias framework. I was co-teacher with a beautifully skilled and natural educator, another Latina woman, who shared her wisdom and the magic of working with children at their level, walking alongside them as they made meaning of their world. Working in this program for many years, I learned the art of writing learning stories, the form of documentation we used for our reflective practice. We had weekly team meetings and a pedagogista who upheld the Reggio/anti-bias framework in the work of the teachers. We had meaningful professional development opportunities, and our work was taken seriously. I feel so lucky to have spent so many years there, and to have had my own children be part of that experience as well.

Early Head Start Specialist and Family Support: I was part of the launch of a new Early Head Start program that supported families enrolled in family home childcare and the owners of those programs. I supported five home childcare educators in bringing their environments up to Early Head Start requirements, ensuring a high-quality childcare experience for families with newborns to three-year-olds who were facing homelessness, little to no income, loss, and more. I met with families to enroll them, get them connected to resources and be an advocate for them. I was honored to work in this role, to learn the stories of families, and to build trusting partnerships around the best interests of their children. It was challenging and rewarding, and again I had so many opportunities for professional development and deepening my knowledge of early childhood education and  the great injustices and gatekeeping throughout our society’s systems.

Preschool Director/Lead Teacher: I led a small teaching team in a classroom at a community center. The classroom was enrolled in the Seattle Preschool Program - a free/reduced preschool program for families in Seattle. I worked with families from very diverse backgrounds, often having 4 or more languages spoken by our families and unique individual backstories. Our classroom environment intentionally fostered a sense of belonging through reflecting the children and families who were in it, something that is built only through authentic relationships. Building these relationships was the most rewarding part of this job and one of my favorite places i’ve worked in. 

Atelierista: I am just now entering a new role with a nonprofit childcare center in Seattle that uses the Reggio Emilia approach as part of its framework, again at the intersection of identity, social justice, and equity. Working together with the pedagogista(reggio mentor teacher), I serve as the art studio mentor teacher, supporting classroom teachers in taking what they know and observe about their students and translating their ideas through art materials and intentional provocations.

My Childhood: One of my most valuable experiences is that of my childhood. In my earliest years I spent so much time in meaningful learning spaces - my backyard, co-op preschool and grade school, the great outdoors, my home, and the homes of my grandparents. My childhood gave me so much room to play, take good risks, learn a sense of capability and competence, and create. I was exposed to culture, languages, and different ideas. Alongside that, I was always in community, where relationships were meaningful and impactful in who I have grown to be, all great privileges. 

In addition to all of these experiences, I’ve led trainings around equity, adapted a popular curriculum to create more opportunities for authentic community building and cultural reflection and I've enthusiastically spent hours and hours in professional development. i could go on and on about the experiences i have had. Early childhood work is more than just a job for me — it is a homage to the gift of childhood, a sacred, special time. It is a thank-you to those who provided for me and those who came before me who shaped us and our understanding of the world. I am honored, blessed, lucky, privileged, loved, and cared for by the universe to be in the position I am in today: opening a space devoted to centering my strongly held values of honoring the child, building community, and radical play and creativity for all. I am so excited to have you all on this journey with me.