How many years have you worked with children?

6 years. 

What brought you to work with children? Have you always wanted to or did it just happen?

My passion and dedication to work with young children came during my second life cycle. I originally worked in the field of corporate executive human resources, but after having my son during the pandemic, things shifted and I became extremely passionate about early childhood education. I had a desire for my son to be in a loving, safe, and nurturing environment that focused on academics. I was unable to find a vacancy in my hometown of centers that met my expectations, so my husband and I decided to open up a learning academy with the hopes of creating the environment that we yearned for our son. It is at this point in 2021 that Success Learning Academy was established, and I began to focus on the development of young children.

What are some of your hobbies? 

My hobbies include traveling, hunting, shopping, and spending time with my family.

What is your most treasured accomplishment?

One of my most treasured accomplishments is being a mother to my three children and having the opportunity and flexibility to have a direct impact on their lives. I'm also blessed to have a husband and partner who helped me to bring my vision of owning my own childcare center into reality. Lastly, I definitely feel accomplished through my team at Success Learning Academy. I have created a team that is just as passionate about caring for and teaching students just as I am, and this makes me extremely proud.

What is your favorite thing about working with children? 

One of my favorite things about working with children is seeing them grow and reach their developmental milestones. At my center, I try to develop a relationship with each student. I try to learn everything about my students and their families so that I can better understand how to meet their needs. I love seeing my students happy and thriving.

What has been the most significant or memorable moment in your job? 

The most significant moment of my job was when I opened my center with only seven students and a dream.... to now having 50 students and a recurring waitlist. I turn down students almost every day due to not having vacancies. It has been amazing to see the growth and impact that we've had on our community.

Do you have any dreams or aspirations you want to share? 

My dream is to continue to grow and open up additional centers in South Arkansas.

When we hear the word nutrition, many of us think about rules, restrictions, or what we should be eating. But this year’s National Nutrition Month theme — Discover the Power of Nutrition

— is about something much bigger.

It’s about recognizing that food is not just fuel…It’s a tool.

A tool for energy.

A tool for mood.

A tool for resilience.

A tool for showing up as your best self. 

Power Tips:

• Add protein to your breakfast this week (eggs, Greek yogurt, nut butter, cottage cheese, protein smoothie) to help prevent afternoon crashes, more steady energy, and better concentration.

• Try eating every 3–4 hours to prevent energy dips that can affect mood.

• Add one colorful fruit or vegetable to your lunch each day this week to support immune system and gut health.

• Keep a water bottle visible during the day as a reminder to sip consistently as hydration plays a major role in fatigue and headaches.

As we talk about the power of nutrition, we’re also talking about more than meals—we’re talking about opportunity, which is why we’ve launched our Farm to ECE pilot program to connect young children with fresh, Arkansas-grown foods.

If you’re located in Faulkner, Conway, or Pope Counties, you have a special opportunity to join the FRESH (Farmers Reaching Every School through Health) Network pilot program. We’re preparing to deliver fresh, local produce directly to select early childhood programs!
Interested? Contact allison@curriculaconcepts.com to learn how to get involved.

We have some news that's been a long time coming — the first-ever Farm to ECE Summit is officially happening, and we could not be more thrilled to share it with you!

Day 1 | Thursday, May 7th — Rabbit Ridge Farms (Bee Branch) 
Day 2 | Friday, May 8th — Herschel Hall (Greenbrier)

This is just the beginning. We'll be sharing everything you need to know in the weeks ahead, so stay tuned. You're going to want to be part of this!

IMPORTANT REMINDERS!

Childcare Provider Call Highlights! We know how busy you are and want to make it a litlte easier on you! Every month we email out a summary of highlights of the OEC's Childcare Provider Call. Make sure this is getting to you! If not, reach out to Deborah to stay connected!

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"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."

- Nelson Mandela