Three Child Development Center Teachers Graduating This Spring From Georgia State's College of Education & Human Development

ATLANTA - Yolanda Maheia, TaCara Rule-Ramsey and Zequoia Westmoreland took different paths into early childhood education. But this spring, they're reaching the same milestone.

They discovered their passion for education at different times in their lives, hold a mix of degrees and certifications in their field and have been teaching for different amounts of time.

But they all found their way to Georgia State University's two Child Development Centers, which provide high-quality educational experiences for young children ages 12 weeks to pre-K.

They've been working in the centers' pre-K classrooms while pursuing degrees in birth through 5 and creative and innovative education. The experience has allowed them to apply new knowledge and skills in their teaching while working toward graduation this May.

"I am beyond proud of the pre-K teams at both centers," Westmoreland said. "We all started this journey separately, but we finished it together."

Yolanda Maheia: "I Get to Teach Something New and Get a Million Hugs and I Love Yous"

Maheia set her sights on a career in early childhood education when she was 9 years old.

Her aunt and godmother, Theresa, was an educator in Baltimore for many years before becoming a home school teacher, and Maheia was inspired to follow in her footsteps.

"I remember going to her house in the summer when my family used to visit her, and she would have all sorts of cool teacher materials," she said. "I used to tell her how I wanted to be just like her when I grew up. I have a passion for teaching, and I could not see myself doing anything else."

Maheia began her teaching in 1996 and has taught in preschool, private pre-K and state-funded pre-K classrooms throughout her career.

Though she holds an associate degree in early childhood education and a Child Development Associate certification, she knew she wanted to further her education through the College of Education & Human Development's (CEHD) birth through 5 education program.

The program has connected her with supportive faculty members in the Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education and given her additional tools to use when planning lessons for her students at the Capitol Hill Child Enrichment Center.

"I've learned how to incorporate technology more in my lessons, to adapt each lesson so it can be cultural and meaningful to everyone in the class and to create lessons around stories," she said. "The best part has been learning so many new ways of teaching and having some amazing professors who want to see me succeed."

After graduating in May, Maheia is looking forward to continuing her work in the center and using what she's learned in the birth through 5 program to support her students' learning.

"Going to work every day means the world to me. It means I get to teach something new and get a million hugs and I love yous," she said.

TaCara Rule-Ramsey: Belief in the Power of Creative and Expressive Learning

Rule-Ramsey first discovered the benefits of arts-based education while attending the West Michigan Academy of Arts and Academics, a K-8 school that "uses art to instruct and deepen children's understandings of curricular content as well as the world around them," according to its website.

"I truly thrived as a student there, and it strengthened my belief in the power of creative and expressive learning," she said.

She encourages connections between the arts and education in her roles as a child development specialist in the Lanette L. Suttles Child Development Center's pre-K classroom and a student in the college's Master of Arts in Creative and Innovative Education (MACIE) program.

She has enjoyed building meaningful connections with her students' families, her colleagues, CEHD faculty members and the center's research partners, and has found ways to put what she's learning in the MACIE program into practice in her pre-K classroom.

"I have developed a deeper understanding of how children learn, especially through hands-on experiences in makerspaces where exploration, problem-solving and imagination are encouraged," she explained. "I have learned that learning is most meaningful when it is engaging, culturally responsive and rooted in children's natural curiosity."

After graduating this spring, Rule-Ramsey plans to enroll in the CEHD's Ph.D. program in early childhood and elementary education and work toward creating an African American children's museum.

"I hope to one day bring this vision to life by establishing a real museum space where children can explore and learn about African American history in engaging and meaningful ways," she said.

Zequoia Westmoreland: Creating Meaningful Experiences for Students Inside and Outside the Classroom

It's hard for Westmoreland to identify her favorite moments teaching in the pre-K classrooms at the Capitol Hill Child Enrichment Center.

If she had to narrow it down, she's most enjoyed the times when they've traveled away from the center and learned more about Georgia State's campus and the Atlanta community.

"I enjoy exploring the community and creating meaningful experiences with our students outside of the classroom," she said. "I like seeing their excitement while learning about the world around them and being able to make real-life experiences and connections happen."

She applied that same approach to her academic career by enrolling in the MACIE program at Georgia State. She joined the program to challenge herself, to meet other people working in creative and educational fields and to build on her teaching skills.

Westmoreland chose elective classes in the program's Educational Creatives and Family and Community Engagement pathways to support her goals, and she has gained new skills and built friendships with her classmates in the process.

"One of the best parts of this program has been the networking, the wealth of information we've received and the support of amazing professors," she said. "We are not just passive listeners - we are active participants in our learning. I especially value the autonomy we're given to create, design, execute and teach in ways that reflect who we are as graduate students and future educational leaders."

She will graduate this spring prepared to bring "new ideas, stronger skills and an even deeper sense of purpose" to her students at the center, and she's grateful for the support she's received throughout her academic journey.

"I couldn't have done it without the support of my wonderful family (my village), my Capitol Hill family and the amazing professors who guided me along the way," Westmoreland said.

Together, their stories reflect not only individual achievement, but a shared commitment to early childhood education and to the students who inspire them daily.