At five months pregnant, Jocelyn was planning to get her GED. That’s when a nurse at Nurse Family Partnerships told her about New Legacy, and Jocelyn went for a tour. She was scared, in part because her family had a bad impression of childcare centers, but during her tour, she saw that our Early Learning Center was so much more than a childcare center. She was immediately embraced by the staff, who supported her in so many ways. By the time her son Tony was born, she already felt at home and was completely comfortable bringing him to the ELC.
Jocelyn has noticed that Tony, now 11 months old, is more comfortable with social interactions compared to children not in the ELC. He is learning to walk, and she loves seeing him stand and balance on his own. Elyssa, Tony’s teacher, gives Jocelyn parenting advice and guidance and has helped her with her Child Development Associate (CDA) coursework. In fact, Jocelyn says, Elyssa has been “like a second teacher.”
Jocelyn has formed strong connections with many teachers, and in particular, says that Chris, Dero, and Jenn have provided her with a lot of support. She used to hate math because other teachers didn’t explain it well, but Dero explains it in a way that she understands. “The way they teach motivates me,” she says. “They check up on me. They make me feel welcome at the school… like I matter.”
Before New Legacy, Jocelyn didn’t believe she could go to college. Now, she has not only earned her CDA certification, but she is also taking a college course. “I didn’t believe in myself but now I do,” she says. With a college class and possibly two internships (in early childhood and nursing) ahead as she completes her senior year, Jocelyn is living her words of advice to other students: “Take advantage of all the open doors at New Legacy, because other schools don’t have that. Don’t look back with regret.”
