From Preschool Play to Professional Pathways: Jennifer’s Journey in Early Childhood Education

Published October 14, 2025 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.

Jennifer originally entered college as a journalism major, but it only took a semester for her to realize her heart wasn’t in it. A part-time position at a local preschool opened her eyes to the joy and possibility of working with children. After exploring her academic options, she found a major at Michigan State University that allowed her to study how children grow and learn through experience. From there, everything clicked.

She earned her degree, followed by a Master’s in Child Development, and quickly accepted her first full-time role: lead teacher in an Early Head Start program. There, she supported infants, toddlers, and families, and discovered a passion for working closely with parents to help them better understand their child’s development. That passion led to a new role as a home visitor, where she supported families in their own environments and connected them to essential community resources.

Her path continued through a university lab school, where she became both teacher and mentor. While managing a classroom, she also trained and coached college students pursuing child development degrees—modeling classroom skills, reviewing lesson plans, and guiding them as they prepared for student teaching. That blend of teaching and mentorship proved to be the perfect foundation for her next chapter.

Jennifer was deeply involved in her local early childhood affiliate, serving on the board and coordinating conferences. So when a position opened at Michigan AEYC as a TEACH Scholarship Counselor (now Program Specialist), it felt like a natural next step. For the past nine years, she’s been supporting educators across Michigan, helping them navigate the path to their degrees through scholarship opportunities.

In her current role, Jennifer’s days are filled with impact—whether she’s processing scholarship applications, supporting recipients through career planning, or developing presentations to reach new professionals. Though she no longer works directly with children, she sees the ripple effects of her work at conferences and events, where she reconnects with scholarship recipients who are thriving in the field.

Challenges remain—especially when a promising educator faces barriers like lack of employer support or logistical hurdles. But Jennifer approaches those moments with empathy and determination, offering guidance wherever possible and striving to keep recipients inspired.

Her growth has been both personal and professional. She’s developed skills in conflict resolution, communication, data tracking, public speaking, and community partnership building. She also continues to grow through internal leadership, mentoring new colleagues and supporting organizational events, including volunteer coordination and CDA resource days.

Jennifer never received a TEACH scholarship herself—when she was in school more than 20 years ago, she didn’t know the program existed. But that only deepens her dedication to making sure today’s educators know what’s available.

Her advice to others is grounded in joy and balance: “When you do what you love and find harmony between work and life, you open the door to success.”

Jennifer’s story is a powerful reminder that careers in early childhood can start with a love of play—and grow into leadership that shapes the professional lives of others. Through every chapter, she’s remained focused on one core goal: helping people understand, nurture, and elevate the work of early education.