April 20, 2005

Child care popular career choice

Early Childhood Education students praise program

By
Herald staff writer

      A day spent at the state's Early Childhood Conference in Grand Rapids last week, served to confirm a career choice made by 11 students from the TBA-ISD Career Tech Center.
      The conference, held as part of a national celebration of April as the month of the young child, was attended by child care professionals as well as college and high school students.
      "Our students were able to pick up a lot of practical information at the conference," said Donna Valdmanis, an Early Childhood Education instructor at the Career Tech Center.
      "All 11 of the students that attended are planning on attending Northwestern Michigan College or other colleges to continue their education in the field. Our program gives them a chance to see what a career is really like. Someone who might not have been planning on going on to college may begin to think about it when they realize that they really like what they are doing here," Valdmanis said.
      Jessica Hudson, a senior from Mancelona High School, entered the Early Childhood program feeling pretty confident she wanted to pursue a career in the area.
      "I figured I wanted to work with kids, I've been a nanny for three years. I really love the program, now I'm more sure that it is right for me," said Hudson who works as a teacher's assistant to severely mentally impaired children at Cherry Knoll Elementary as part of the program.
      Hudson plans to put some of the tips she picked up at the conference to good use.
      "They told us how to handle children who have parents going through a divorce, who are aggressive and toilet training issues," said Hudson who will attend Western Michigan University to become a special education teacher.
      Danielle Mousseau, a junior from Forest Area High School, has always known she wanted to be a teacher.
      "When I was little I would sit in front of my stuffed animals and pretend to be teaching them," said Mousseau who plans to continue with the program next year. She will be dual enrolled at NMC and the Career Tech Center.
      "The conference gave me a lot of great ideas, I'm sure I will use them when I am a teacher someday," Mousseau noted.
      Michele Hilliard, a homeschooled senior, also has plenty of good things to say about the Early Childhood program.
      "I wanted to get into the program for some hands on experience, to see if it is really what I want to do," Hilliard said.
      "I definitely still want to be a preschool teacher. The conference just made me even more sure," said Hilliard who plans to attend NMC for two years before transferring to Cedarville University in Ohio.