I am a Head Start Alumni as well as a Head Start Parent and past Policy Councel Member and worked for Head Start through the National Americorps Program. I can honestly say, Head Start has been a part of my life, my whole life. I was a kid in the program when my mom was divorced and my deadbeat dad didn't help her in anyway with my brother and I. I remember the class, the teachers, everyone there was great. I used a lot of the tools I learned throughout my whole life. I didn't have much growing up but managed to "use my words" and stay out of fights and on (or at least close to) the right track as a teenager. When I was just out of high school, I got married and had two children right away, 22 months apart. Life was not easy at all. I let head start slip away from me, you know being a strong, independent mother and all. Then when my daughter was 4, I was knocking on head Starts door. I needed her to go to preschool and there was no place else besides HS. That was the best decision I had ever made in my parenting life. My daughter, who by the way, was very stubborn, selfish and quite a temper tantrum thrower, became such a great leader in everything she did, and she is 12 years old now and still uses the tools she learned from the program. I honestly believe the whole staff deserves credit for the wonderful child she is today. That year in the program Shelbie learned how to use the enthusiasm and spunk she had in a positive way. She learned how powerful words can be and in a positive way. we as a family learned how to help her grow positively with the leadership talant she had but didn't know how to use. The following year, She did great in kindergarten. She already knew so much from head start about socializing positively and the basic academic stuff thast she could excel so much farther by focusing on school work. She is still an advanced reader and exceeds above grade level in middle school.Two years after my first experience with head start as a parent, my son was fortunate enough to join the head start program. That was when I was really hooked and joined the policy councel. I spent so much time in his class, they asked me to be a representative of our site to the councel and I was so excited. My problem was I was dealing with issues with in myself of hiding behind a wall from people because I was ashamed of who I was. I thought about how comfortable I was at his school, that just the atmosphere and the people made me feel good. I thought if I could open up there, then this policy councel could be okay. Besides, I could hide in a corner and listen and no one would notice me. Well, the more time i spent with in the program, the more I found out I was a person of worth not just a mom who was nobody. I found out my opinion meant something in my child's education.That opened a whole new thing for me. I guess you'd say I blossomed into a very outgoing person and it changed who I was. i learned of a program called Americorps through policy councel. I could work with these people EVERYDAY! These people who helped me grow and blossom not only as a parent but as a person in whole. I took advantage of that and it was a great experience both personally and professionally. I will always be gretful to Head Start for making me who I am today and giving me and my children the tools to make a difference in our community and lead happy, healthy lives.