The Head Start program gave me and my children a better life

Brenda Walker wrote this piece as a retirement announcement from the Community Action Council Head Start Program in Jackson County.

I would like to take this opportunity to brag about my life as an employee at Head Start program in Jackson County. If it had not been for Head Start, I do not know where I would be right now. Probably struggling to survive and depending on the system to care for me. However, thanks to Head Start I have gone to college and gotten my degree, and worked at a job that I have loved for 27 years. I love working with children and their families and would not be retiring, but I just cannot keep up with all the job responsibilities anymore due to my age.

The reason I appreciate Head Start so much is because I was raised as a farmer’s daughter in the hills of Kentucky with 16 siblings. I did not go to school and my lessons at home were working in the garden, canning food, killing hogs, milking cows, and helping raise my 15 younger siblings.

My life with Head Start started in 1989 as a parent volunteer when my son Adam was enrolled in the program. My daughter Autumn was enrolled in 1994 and I was hired as a cook aide in 1995. I was very shy and scared to death to talk to strangers because as a child raised back in the woods, I was not used to being around strangers.

Since I had no early education, Charlotte Witt, the center director encouraged me to enroll in the adult education program at the Jackson County Board of Education. I studied very hard and I got my diploma and went on to get my GED. When I got my GED, the Jackson County Sun newspaper and the Lexington Herald-Leader newspaper did an article with me in hopes to encourage more people to go get an education. Paul Harvey then did a short talk on the radio about my family.

Terrified that I was not smart enough to go to college, Head Start staff encouraged me to enroll in Midway College. There I sat in the back seat and prayed because I was so scared that I could not do the work, but I started getting B’s on my test and that gave me encouragement to keep taking classes. I then went on to graduate from Eastern Kentucky University. I graduated there with a 3.4 GPA and made the honor roll. This was possible because Head Start staff was encouraging me all the way.

My last amazing opportunity was getting to work for Community Action Council Head Start. I have met and been trained by the most caring, considerate, helpful and supportive people I have ever known. I so appreciate all the amazing staff that have helped and encouraged me be a better teacher/educator these past years. It has been a true blessing to work for Community Action Council and I thank them all so much.

I cannot thank the wonderful people that make up Head Start for believing in me, for encouraging and supporting me and for guiding me through my educational and teaching journey, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to work in a job I loved for 27 years and that is working with young children and their families.

Thank you Head Start. I appreciate all you have done for me.

Brenda Walker lives in McKee, where she recently retired from teaching in the Jackson County Head Start.