Dornisha Cherry is enthusiastic about being a mom, a teacher and a student and she knows that her actions are life lessons for her four daughters. “There are only 24 hours in a day,” Dornisha said. “I’m a full-time mother, full-time student and full-time employee. It’s a phenomenal balancing act. Education in early childhood has helped me be a better mother and a better teacher in the classroom, and even helps me have teachable moments in the community. Your children are always watching. One of my daughter’s obtained her associate degree at the same time she graduated from high school. Another graduated valedictorian from high school last year and is now attending my same college. She’s getting a degree in Elementary Education. She was in my class at the child care center! I encouraged her to care about education. I always say, ‘Don’t do what I do, do better than I do.’ And she’s doing it. I’m truly so proud of all my children and I have to keep being a good role model because they are watching me.”
Dornisha’s working on her four-year degree as well. With an Associate Degree in Arts and an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education under her belt, she is now pursuing her B-K licensure with a concentration in teacher education. When she started school, she wasn’t sure how she wanted to specialize, but one of her professors pulled her aside and asked her to consider working for her in early childhood. With the offer to place her child in the same program, Dornisha gave it a try and found her calling. That professor is still her director at Rehoboth Educational Services Childcare in Hertford County.
Though she may not have known her future path when she started school, Dornisha always loved children. At gatherings with her large family, she was always in the “kids’ corner” helping with arts and crafts. “When I had my own children,” she said, “we were always playing school. I was always a teacher. I love the positive impact that I have on children. They are engaged, playing and learning at the same time. My education in early childhood has opened my eyes to activities that are age appropriate. I still have my mom instincts for nurturing, but I’m also a teacher helping them learn and understand. I’m better able to balance out what each child needs in one classroom setting.”
Dornisha said, “I’m proud of the love I get from the babies, the praise I get from the parents, the good work I do in the community and knowing that they say positive things about the changes I’ve made for their children. Children learn quickly. I tell them, ‘Don’t say I can’t do this. Say I just haven’t learned it yet.’ I want them to know they have the ability to learn.”
Dornisha is continuing her learning journey and believes that WAGE$ has helped her increase her education. Her director encouraged her to get on WAGE$ initially and she was immediately interested in moving up the scale. “When I went back for my bachelor’s degree,” she said, “I applied for scholarships and grants, and I used my first WAGE$ check for the rest of my tuition. It has helped me financially with school, with taking additional trainings to better myself in school and in my classroom. It has helped me provide resources to work on the activities the children need. WAGE$ has absolutely helped me stay in child care because I could get the education I need to provide quality care for children and to keep my position in the center.”
Dornisha said, “Without the funds from Child Care WAGE$®, I would be in a bind, struggling to pay my bills and attend college to better my education for the future of our youth. Where my employment funds have lacked what I need, WAGE$ has been there to fill the holes in my financial status. I thank our Hertford-Northampton Smart Start Partnership for Children and the Division of Child Development and Early Education for the funding of this program and the opportunity to have something available such as this to help us keep our place in the early childhood field.”
“I love our Smart Start and the opportunities they have given me,” she continued. “I love their lending library. I go to their trainings. They are a phone call away and they’ll even come to me if I need them. I really thank them for WAGE$ and what they have done to fight for our education and to get us the financial resources we need.”
