Appreciation All Around

Cary Larson-McKay

Many of the Chapters are having end-of-the year celebrations and appreciation events. These are a great way to let those working with children know how much their work is valued and appreciated. These events span the range from coffee and snacks to dinners and music. Some events actually have speakers and others have incorporated actual pampering stations with chair massages, aroma therapy demonstrations, and make-up consultations. I want to thank all our members for the work they do and acknowledge the important role they have in the lives of the children and families they support. THANK YOU.

Other Chapters are holding elections in the next month or so and we look forward to welcoming the new Chapter Board members and thanking those outgoing Chapter Board members for their time and dedication.

I am encouraging all Chapters to keep track of the NAEYC Power to the Profession work. It is an important movement in our field being led by NAEYC and including many other organizations that care about those who work in the field. Chapters can share this information with their members, the community and with the community leaders. We have a long distance to go to ensure equity, respect and professionalism in our field and your voice is important.

I want to share this piece written by Jenn Greenaway the new Chapter President for Ventura Chapter of CAAEYC as a way of introducing you to some of our Chapter Leaders. In it, she talks about the journey into her presidency, some of her hesitancy, and questions she had as she accepted the position and now looks to the work of leading a Chapter Board. Like Jenn many of us now serve in leadership positions because someone asked us to participate and we said, “yes.” Thank you Jenn for sharing your journey with us.

It was approximately one year ago that I received an email from the sitting President of the Ventura County Chapter of CAAEYC asking if I would be interested in being involved with the board. When I replied with, “Tell me more,” she said that she was nominating me for President.

My honest reaction? I burst out laughing and then replied, “What about Secretary? I could be a great Secretary! You know I take good notes.” (She and I were in the same university cohort group, once upon a time.) She went on to encourage me to accept the nomination for President, explaining that she would stay on to help me learn all the ropes and telling me that she knew I was the right person for the position. I’m sure glad that someone knew I was “right” for this because sometimes I continue to wonder how I ended up in this place!

That feeling is not completely new to me, however. It has defined much of my work in the field of early childhood. I have accepted several jobs and roles in the field because of my attitude of, “Okay, I’m willing to help. Let’s see how this goes!” I think this is familiar to many in this line of work. We’re not great at saying, “No,” are we? For example, I accepted my first Lead Teacher position when other teachers resigned and I was the person left who knew the children best and who had done a single round of DRDPs. I thought I might drown, but it turned out I was a strong swimmer.

I began my work with infants and toddlers when a classmate at the time asked me to consider applying for a newly created position in our school district, as it was a challenge to find candidates who were well qualified. I thrived in that position for more than eight years.

I joined the Mentor Program when a professor showed up at my work, handed me the application, and said, “Please fill this out. We need more mentors!” I tend to stumble into opportunities that feel intimidating and uncomfortable but turn out okay in the end.

So when I failed to land the role of Secretary and found myself labeled “President” instead, I did my best to embrace it with both optimism and enthusiasm. In the months since I accepted the nomination and was elected to our Chapter’s Board, I’ve learned so much and have had the opportunity to meet and work alongside so many passionate, intelligent and creative individuals. I have so much gratitude for everyone who has had the patience to answer my questions. (Rest assured, there will be more!)

It’s impossible for me to adequately express my adoration and admiration for every member of our Board. We’re all new to our roles and we’re a diverse group who truly embrace learning together. They’re a forgiving and supportive group, as well, so they make me feel comfortable with my mistakes and missteps. They don’t hesitate to push me to the front when there is a microphone to be spoken into, but I do my best to swallow my nerves because I know that they’re standing behind me all the way. People always say that it’s good to do things that scare you. It’s been my experience that this is generally true, as this is how growth happens. Being a new President feels scary to me, an introvert by nature, but it’s also exciting! It’s exciting to feel that I can make an impact in this field and in our community by being a part of something larger than myself.

I can advocate for children, families and my fellow professionals in new ways and I can affect change. It would have been easy enough for me to claim not to have space in my life for this new responsibility. I have a full plate: running a business, being a mentor, taking care of my home and family, and trying to squeeze in some self-care from time to time. Like everyone who cares for small children, I have days when I wish to bottle their energy and drink it down because I seem to have so little of my own.

I am so glad that I didn’t say no to this, however, and I want to encourage others to say “Yes!” It’s worth it and it’s much less intimidating than it may seem at first.

- Jenn Greenaway,
President, Ventura County Chapter of CAAEYC