The College of Education’s Early Childhood Education (ECE) Workforce program prides itself on prioritizing student well-being and creating a supportive environment for current educators working to gain more expertise in early childhood education. Becky Pajak, a student in the first cohort of this program, spoke of her first semester experience.
Becky currently serves as the Director of Curriculum and Education at The Goddard School of Edwardsville, which serves children from 6 weeks old to Pre-kindergarten with developmental needs.
A lifelong educator, Pajak’s career in early childhood education and care spans over 30 years. Her mother, a daycare provider, exposed her to working with children from a young age, and even gave her the opportunity to assist with their care.
Pajak earned her associate degree in her early twenties and went straight into the early childhood workforce. She had dreams of pursuing a bachelor’s degree but paused her education while raising her family. Now, with Illinois State’s 100% online program, she is loving the opportunity to return to school and focus on her degree. “I love that this program allows me to continue to prioritize my family, but at the same time focus on my own educational needs and career.” After pausing her educational goals for many years, Pajak has returned to school for the fall 2022 semester.
As a recipient of the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program, Pajak has the full cost of the program paid for by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (IASC).
“Learning new things, especially the new ways of teaching traditional concepts has been the most interesting part,” said Pajak, “Back when I was in school, we didn’t have Common Core, so learning new angles to teach old concepts has been so fascinating to learn, and fun to watch.”
In her role as curriculum director, Pajak is already taking this non-traditional application of traditional disciplines back to The Goddard School. She plans to continue implementing her new skills in her current position to better serve her students and staff.
Her drive for a stable and fulfilling career, along with her personal motivation to continue her education marks Pajak as an outstanding reflection of the ECE Online Workforce program. Like the rest of her cohort, she takes the challenges in stride, because the end result is a worthy reward for her hard work and dedication. When asked what she would give prospective students, she responded, “Do it! You’ll regret it if you don’t.”
