Do you know what the best advertisement is? It’s word of mouth. That’s how Evelyn came to HSOLC. While it wasn’t her first choice, it became her best choice to become a Head Start Teacher! Let’s learn more…
Are you a parent? Are you a HS/EHS parent?
Yes, I had 3 children who attended preschool programs. My son went to Springfield Christian School and is now 24 years old. My daughter, who is 21, went to Head Start in Creswell with Sherry Beach. And, my second daughter, who is 12, went to Head Start at Delight Valley with Sherry Beach too!
When my daughter was attending Head Start in Creswell, Sherry spoke to me to see if I was interested in becoming a preschool teacher. At that time, I was working on an Early Childhood Education degree at Lane Community College. I had been taking classes for a while working in the retail business. I continued working in retail while going to school. Things became harder when I decided to walk away from school and work two jobs as a single parent.
I dropped out of college and focused on working in retail while the two older children were in elementary school. Several years passed and I ended up getting pregnant with my youngest. At that point, when she was old enough to attend preschool, I got the paperwork for Head Start to get qualified for her to attend. Head Start told me there was an opening for her to attend Delight Valley, but I would have to transport her unless they had a spot on the bus. At that point I was just excited to have her in Head Start once again!
We went down to the school to meet the teacher of the class…it was the same teacher who had my older daughter, Sherry Beach. This was exciting news, and I felt very comfortable leaving my daughter with her. Elena would attend the Head Start program until she was five.
During that time, Teacher Sherry explained that she would be doing a home visit to get to know the family. Sherry talked to me about going back to school and finishing my degree in Early Childhood Education. After that conversation, I began to think about a long-term job in retail. I was not happy working nights and not being able to spend time with my family.
Sherry was able to help me get on board and connect with Lane Community College to figure out what I needed to do to go back to college. Eventually, I would start as a substitute working at Delight Valley in October 2015. I worked as a sub for the part-day program until January.
In January I became a teacher. I continued with the part-day program until 2017 when a position for a Head Teacher opened in the Extended Day program. I worked at Charlemagne until 2018, when I officially moved to Full Day. I got my Early Childhood Education degree in June 2024!
What makes me come to work is being able to see the excitement in children’s eyes when they have completed a task or learned something new. Working with children has always been a passion and I enjoy working with children. I love seeing children grow, develop, build relationships, and be creative.
Are you from Oregon
I am originally from Texas, but I moved to Oregon when I was a little baby. I lived in Brookings, Oregon for about 5 years before my parents moved to Eugene. I’ve lived in Eugene until my sophomore year when my parents moved again, and we moved to Creswell. I’ve lived in Creswell since 1989 and continue to live in Creswell with my family.
What surprised you the most about Head Start?
Something that surprised me the most about Head Start is how much they support families and continue to support them. They offer classes within the agency to help families. They don’t just focus on education but also health and nutrition. They provide resources for families to connect within the community. They help families with getting into housing along with food, clothing, and anything else that they need.