From Unexpected Opportunity to Recognized Educator: Bridgett’s Journey in Early Childhood Education

Published November 2026 as a part of the Career Exploration Tool: Stories from the Field series. This series of stories brings to life the many pathways members of Michigan’s early care and education field have taken to achieve their goals, nurture their interests, and achieve success.

Bridgett’s professional journey took several turns before she found her place in early childhood education. After working various jobs as a teenager, she married and spent years as a stay-at-home mother. When her family needed additional income, she returned to work, eventually starting her own housecleaning business. Later, she spent six years managing the daily operations of a grooming shop.

Then, an injury changed everything.

After undergoing wrist surgery, Bridgett spent three months away from work recovering. Just three days before she was scheduled to return, her daughter mentioned that her workplace needed teachers and encouraged Bridgett to interview.

She decided to give it a try.

Within a week, Bridgett had started a new job. It was October 2022, and although she had spent much of her life around children, she had no idea how profoundly this opportunity would change her future.

What began as an unexpected career change quickly became something much more. Bridgett discovered that working with young children combined the things she loved most—helping others, building relationships, and making a difference in people’s lives.

Today, Bridgett serves as an Associate Teacher, working alongside two other educators in a classroom of 17 children between the ages of three and five. Her days are filled with learning, laughter, creativity, and plenty of unexpected moments.

From greeting children and families each morning to leading group activities, supporting play, and helping children develop new skills, Bridgett embraces the variety of responsibilities that come with her role. Her classroom experiences include everything from outdoor exploration and creative activities to visits to the library, gym, and dance studio.

But her contributions extend far beyond the classroom.

Bridgett helps organize field trips, family dance parties, community events, and activities that bring children and families together. She’s even taken the lead on planning a special Touch-a-Truck event featuring emergency vehicles and monster trucks. Whether she’s preparing classroom materials, helping another teacher, or coordinating resources for families, Bridgett is always looking for ways to make a positive difference.

In fact, some people have given her a nickname that perfectly captures her approach to the work: “The Bridge.”

For Bridgett, the name represents what she strives to do every day—connect people and create possibilities.

It’s a role she treasures, particularly when she sees the impact those connections have on children and families. Sometimes that impact is immediate, like the smile on a child’s face when they master a skill they’ve been struggling with. Other times, it reveals itself years later, when former students recognize her in the community or families stop by the school simply to say hello.

Those lasting relationships remind Bridgett that early childhood education is about far more than what happens during the school day.

Of course, the work isn’t always easy. When Bridgett first entered the field, she didn’t anticipate just how emotionally invested she would become in the children and families she served. She quickly learned that being an educator means celebrating successes, supporting families through challenges, and sometimes helping them connect with resources beyond what a classroom can provide.

She has also experienced the realities of working in a demanding profession, including limited resources, funding concerns, and the challenge of fitting everything into a busy day.

Through it all, Bridgett has learned the importance of relying on others. Her family, classroom team, colleagues, and administrators have become an invaluable support system. Together, they share ideas, work through challenges, celebrate accomplishments, and remind one another that no educator has to do everything alone.

That willingness to ask for help has become one of Bridgett’s greatest areas of personal and professional growth.

When she first entered the field, Bridgett had a high school diploma and no formal early childhood credentials. She initially believed she was too old to return to college, but she soon discovered that there were other pathways available to help her develop her skills and advance her career.

She decided to pursue them.

Since beginning her career, Bridgett has earned her Child Development Associate (CDA) credential and successfully completed the Child Care Network Apprenticeship Program, receiving a certificate from the United States Department of Labor.

But her growth hasn’t stopped there.

She is now mentoring another participant in the apprenticeship program, pursuing a Mentor Teacher Credential, and participating in additional professional development opportunities, including ZingTrain training.

Along the way, Bridgett has developed skills she never expected to need. She has become more confident using technology and assessment tools, learned strategies for de-escalating challenging situations, and strengthened her ability to recognize and respond to children’s individual developmental needs.

Perhaps most importantly, she has learned to embrace flexibility.

As someone who appreciates organization and completing tasks on time, Bridgett has discovered that working with young children rarely goes exactly according to plan. Sometimes, those unexpected moments become the most meaningful learning experiences of all.

Her professional journey has also taught her that growth doesn’t have an age limit—and that success doesn’t require everyone to follow the same educational path.

For Bridgett, the combination of hands-on experience, professional credentials, mentorship, and continued learning has provided a pathway that fits her life and goals.

And recently, all that dedication led to a moment she never expected.

Bridgett was voted Teacher of the Year for her building.

For someone who prefers working behind the scenes rather than being in the spotlight, the recognition was especially meaningful.

Bridgett was humbled that her colleagues saw her contributions as worthy of such an honor, particularly because she had been in the field for a shorter time than many of them and was still learning from their experience.

But rather than viewing the award as an individual achievement, she saw it as a celebration of everyone who had supported her along the way.

“I was accepting that title for all of us because we are a team,” she explains.

She credits her fellow teachers, mentors, and instructors from the CDA and apprenticeship programs for helping her reach a place she once never imagined possible.

That humility is part of what makes Bridgett’s story so meaningful. Despite everything she has accomplished in a relatively short time, she continues to see herself as a learner, a teammate, and someone who simply wants to help others succeed.

Her advice to anyone considering a career in early childhood education reflects the lessons she’s learned through her own unexpected journey.

“Follow your heart,” she encourages. “Never give up, don’t let others tell you you can’t do it, ask for help when you need it and don’t feel bad for asking any questions.”

She also emphasizes the importance of finding a mentor and exploring the different educational and professional pathways available.

“You don’t have to take the fastest or slowest route to get there, take the one that best fits you.”

Bridgett wishes more people understood the dedication and skill required to work in early childhood education. It’s not simply daycare. It’s a profession that requires patience, creativity, emotional strength, physical energy, and a genuine commitment to helping children learn and grow.

There are difficult days, unexpected challenges, and moments when the work feels overwhelming. But there are also countless rewards—the excitement of watching children make friends, the pride of seeing them solve problems independently, and the joy of knowing you’ve helped shape their earliest experiences.

For Bridgett, those moments make every challenge worthwhile.

Looking back, she recognizes just how much her life has changed since that unexpected conversation with her daughter in 2022. What started as a job opportunity has become a career filled with purpose, accomplishments, and possibilities she once doubted were within her reach.

From managing a grooming shop to earning professional credentials, mentoring future educators, and receiving Teacher of the Year recognition, Bridgett’s journey demonstrates that it’s never too late to discover a new passion or pursue a meaningful career.

And while she may prefer to stay out of the spotlight, her impact shines through the children, families, and colleagues whose lives she continues to touch.

After all, there’s a reason they call her “The Bridge.”

She’s not just helping children learn. She’s connecting people, creating opportunities, and building a future filled with possibilities—one relationship at a time.