I am a Preschool teacher born and raised in Puerto Rico. I was raised by my great-grandmother. We lived in a fixed income of $145 a month from my grandma's social security check and $20 that was paid to my grandma for ironing clothes at a family home. We lived in a very poor area (project or ghetto). My father (28) was divorced from my very young mother (17). As you can see there was no future for me I was an "at risk" child.
While my grandma would go iron clothes I would be at the Head Start where I was safe, I had breakfast, lunch and most of all love from the teachers. I still remember my favorite teacher's name, Ms. Nina. I remember fieldtrips and also a fire safety week seeing the fire trucks, talking to the fireman and also remember when the Dept. of Public transportation came and taught us how to cross the streets, they brought a real traffic signal light to the classroom and we had so much fun playing "red light, green light" with the real thing, that it's still vivid in my mind. My grandma could go run errands and work for some extra money for the two of us because she knew I was safe at the Head Start.
Today I am a successful preschool teacher with love and passion for the children, I am a mother of three wonderful children, a boy 14 and two girls 16 and 17, the oldest one getting ready to enter college and the wife of an Attorney. We now live in Hawaii. I serve the military community at Ft. Shafter Child Development Center. I consider myself a Successful story from Head Start Puerto Rico. Head Start is one of the best and most successful programs in the nationand I will say better than the one I am working for.
Sincerely,
Glorimar Hunt