In a few sentences, what is your role at the agency you work for?
I work in the Virginia Department of Education’s Early Childhood Care and Education Division. While there, I have primarily worked on multiple projects analyzing data from Virginia Quality Birth to Five (VQB5), which is Virginia’s quality rating and improvement system for publicly funded early childhood programs, as well as projects analyzing data from the childcare subsidy program.
What interested you in becoming an SRCD Policy Fellow?
The main attraction of the policy fellowship for me was learning more ways I could use the research skills I developed in graduate school to have a more tangible impact on children’s lives throughout my career, beyond academia.
What has been the most memorable project you have completed during your time at the agency?
One memorable project I’ve worked on throughout the fellowship was writing a technical assistance manual for early childhood education providers on adopting the itinerant model for special education. Though much of my PhD training was focused on early childhood education, special education was not a primary focus of my research, so I appreciated learning about different models for supporting inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood education.
How do you think the fellowship has helped further your career?
One way the fellowship has helped further my career is by opening my eyes to all the different career paths available to experts in early childhood development who are hoping to improve the lives of children.
What has been your favorite aspect of SRCD’s fellowship? Please explain why.
My favorite aspect of the fellowship has been the people–both in the office where I work and in the wonderful network of past and present SRCD fellows.
What is your favorite children’s book?
My favorite children’s book is Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton.