Build the future.
Location: Las Cruces
Build the future.
Location: Silver City
Build the future.
Location: Farmington
Build the future.
Location: Roswell
Build the future.
Location: Clovis
Build the future.
Location: Ohkay Owingeh
Build the future.
Location: Albuquerque
Build the future.
Location: Albuquerque
Build the future.
Location: Las Cruces
Developing Futures is about a career that loves you back.
Life is full of wonder.
Work can be, too.
Life is full of wonder.
Work can be, too.
Hear from New Mexico Professionals:
Life is full of wonder.
Work can be, too.
Life is full of wonder.
Work can be, too.
Hear from New Mexico Professionals:
Valeria Holloway is confident that her work with children now will have impacts well into the future. “If we just catch them really early,” she said, “we can change the trajectory of a child’s life.”
Valeria runs a home-based child care business in Las Cruces, serving children from infancy through PreK and school-age care. She doesn’t advertise, because she’s never needed to. A steady stream of families always find their way to her door—or her existing families have more babies. Because she often cares for multiple children in the same family, she builds years-long relationships with families, which she said is one of the joys of her work.
“My favorite thing about my job is that, most of my kids I’ve had since they were babies, and now I’ve graduated them and sent them off to kindergarten, and now they’re in first and second and third and fourth grade now, and I just, watching children develop and grow from not talking to talking, not walking to walking, they just warm my heart.”
“This is it, I found
my calling”
Some families find Valeria because of her reputation for supporting children with special needs. In her career she has cared for children who are medically frail, hard of hearing, have autism spectrum disorders and other special care needs. Supporting their development is especially rewarding for her. “This is it, I found my calling,” she said. “That’s what drives me right now, is children with special needs.” On top of her lived experience, Valeria has multiple certificates and degrees in early childhood, and says she never paid tuition for any of them because she has used scholarship programs for early childhood professionals.
Caring for children can be hard work, but Valeria said the rewards of supporting their development will keep her in the profession for years to come. “Just watching children go from, I don’t know, a piece of clay, into this beautiful structure of a child is just amazing, and that is what really keeps me going.”
Valeria Holloway is confident that her work with children now will have impacts well into the future. “If we just catch them really early,” she said, “we can change the trajectory of a child’s life.”
Valeria runs a home-based child care business in Las Cruces, serving children from infancy through PreK and school-age care. She doesn’t advertise, because she’s never needed to. A steady stream of families always find their way to her door—or her existing families have more babies. Because she often cares for multiple children in the same family, she builds years-long relationships with families, which she said is one of the joys of her work.
“My favorite thing about my job is that, most of my kids I’ve had since they were babies, and now I’ve graduated them and sent them off to kindergarten, and now they’re in first and second and third and fourth grade now, and I just, watching children develop and grow from not talking to talking, not walking to walking, they just warm my heart.”
“This is it, I found
my calling”
Some families find Valeria because of her reputation for supporting children with special needs. In her career she has cared for children who are medically frail, hard of hearing, have autism spectrum disorders and other special care needs. Supporting their development is especially rewarding for her. “This is it, I found my calling,” she said. “That’s what drives me right now, is children with special needs.” On top of her lived experience, Valeria has multiple certificates and degrees in early childhood, and says she never paid tuition for any of them because she has used scholarship programs for early childhood professionals.
Caring for children can be hard work, but Valeria said the rewards of supporting their development will keep her in the profession for years to come. “Just watching children go from, I don’t know, a piece of clay, into this beautiful structure of a child is just amazing, and that is what really keeps me going.”
“I knew immediately, ‘Oh, this is exactly where I’m supposed to be.’”
When she was growing up, Mikila Crespin liked coming up with activities and experiments to do with her younger cousins. It was part of her family’s culture, she said, that older siblings and cousins helped out with the younger ones, and she had a knack for doing it well. So when a friend suggested she go to college for early childhood, Mikila was surprised. “It was like, ‘What, you can do that? You can get a degree in that?’”
She soon realized that, yes, you can get a degree in that, and she enrolled at Western New Mexico University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. She now teaches PreK at Western’s Child Development Center, which she has loved since she first arrived. “I knew immediately, ‘Oh, this is exactly where I’m supposed to be,’” she said.
As a New Mexico PreK teacher with a bachelor’s degree and license, Mikila is eligible for New Mexico’s PreK parity program, which increases her pay. She said the increase helped her cover unexpected expenses last year, and was a “huge blessing.”
The most rewarding part of her work, she said, is helping children learn new skills. And for young children living through COVID-19, there is extra work to do helping them learn social and verbal skills and, in some cases, process trauma and grief.
So Mikila is teaching things like how to be a good friend. She described one boy who came into her class without any social experiences outside his family. “He definitely needs support in speech and communicating, so just seeing him grow from being almost completely nonverbal to knowing a few phrases and mimicking his friends, it really is amazing,” she said.
And when a child learns new skills, it benefits their whole family. Mikila said the relationships she builds with families are another reward of the job. “It’s nice to hear, when families say, ‘Thank you so much for everything that you’ve done, he’s grown so much,’” she said. “It’s just this amazing feeling.”
When she was growing up, Mikila Crespin liked coming up with activities and experiments to do with her younger cousins. It was part of her family’s culture, she said, that older siblings and cousins helped out with the younger ones, and she had a knack for doing it well. So when a friend suggested she go to college for early childhood, Mikila was surprised. “It was like, ‘What, you can do that? You can get a degree in that?’”
She soon realized that, yes, you can get a degree in that, and she enrolled at Western New Mexico University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. She now teaches PreK at Western’s Child Development Center, which she has loved since she first arrived. “I knew immediately, ‘Oh, this is exactly where I’m supposed to be,’” she said.
As a New Mexico PreK teacher with a bachelor’s degree and license, Mikila is eligible for New Mexico’s PreK parity program, which increases her pay. She said the increase helped her cover unexpected expenses last year, and was a “huge blessing.”
“I knew immediately, ‘Oh, this is exactly where I’m supposed to be.’”
The most rewarding part of her work, she said, is helping children learn new skills. And for young children living through COVID-19, there is extra work to do helping them learn social and verbal skills and, in some cases, process trauma and grief.
So Mikila is teaching things like how to be a good friend. She described one boy who came into her class without any social experiences outside his family. “He definitely needs support in speech and communicating, so just seeing him grow from being almost completely nonverbal to knowing a few phrases and mimicking his friends, it really is amazing,” she said.
And when a child learns new skills, it benefits their whole family. Mikila said the relationships she builds with families are another reward of the job. “It’s nice to hear, when families say, ‘Thank you so much for everything that you’ve done, he’s grown so much,’” she said. “It’s just this amazing feeling.”
Byrickson Henderson does not care whether your house is clean, and he is not there to judge. That’s really important, he said, because parents and caregivers feel judged all the time. As a home visitor, he offers families support, guidance, and his willingness to listen. He is rewarded with lasting relationships and big hugs. “Just the joys of watching families—going into families’ homes, creating that relationship,” he said. “Being embraced by the kids when you walk in, you almost become like a second member of their home.”
Byrickson has been a home visitor for 13 years, and in early childhood for even longer. That means some of the children he’s supported around Shiprock are graduating from high school, and seeing them grow up is a special reward of the job. “Seeing the parents, especially out in the community, being able to give them hugs and ask them how things are going” is very meaningful, he said, even if it does make him feel old.
As a home visitor, Byrickson supports families with new babies or young children. Families have wide-ranging needs, and may want advice about their baby’s sleep or help finding behavioral health resources. “We’re the additional support,” he said. “We’re the additional cheerleader for this family, we’re the additional resource and guide to the resources that they need. It’s amazing when you see those parents excel and push even through the hard times.”
“Their ‘a-ha’ moments are what make me feel good.”
Byrickson is also starting up a Talking Circle for fathers through Northwest New Mexico First Born, where he works. The Talking Circle is new, and is an effort to bring fathers together, create opportunities to talk and listen, and strengthen Navajo fatherhood practices like building traditional cradleboards. Byrickson said resources for fathers can be scarce, and he wants to create a forum for important conversations.
“I would really like to see, myself, a place for fathers where they can come and share their challenges and successes, and a place there they would feel safe,” he said.
Byrickson Henderson does not care whether your house is clean, and he is not there to judge. That’s really important, he said, because parents and caregivers feel judged all the time. As a home visitor, he offers families support, guidance, and his willingness to listen. He is rewarded with lasting relationships and big hugs. “Just the joys of watching families—going into families’ homes, creating that relationship,” he said. “Being embraced by the kids when you walk in, you almost become like a second member of their home.”
Byrickson has been a home visitor for 13 years, and in early childhood for even longer. That means some of the children he’s supported around Shiprock are graduating from high school, and seeing them grow up is a special reward of the job. “Seeing the parents, especially out in the community, being able to give them hugs and ask them how things are going” is very meaningful, he said, even if it does make him feel old.
As a home visitor, Byrickson supports families with new babies or young children. Families have wide-ranging needs, and may want advice about their baby’s sleep or help finding behavioral health resources. “We’re the additional support,” he said. “We’re the additional cheerleader for this family, we’re the additional resource and guide to the resources that they need. It’s amazing when you see those parents excel and push even through the hard times.”
“Their ‘a-ha’ moments are what make me feel good.”
Byrickson is also starting up a Talking Circle for fathers through Northwest New Mexico First Born, where he works. The Talking Circle is new, and is an effort to bring fathers together, create opportunities to talk and listen, and strengthen Navajo fatherhood practices like building traditional cradleboards. Byrickson said resources for fathers can be scarce, and he wants to create a forum for important conversations.
“I would really like to see, myself, a place for fathers where they can come and share their challenges and successes, and a place there they would feel safe,” he said.
“We’re the first teachers that come into children's lives, and I think the foundation starts from us.”
Maria Herrera has taught the young children of Roswell for more than 20 years. She’s worked in child care, Head Start, and now as a PreK teacher at Parkview Early Literacy Center. She chose this career, and earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood, because she sees the impact of her work. “We’re the first teachers that come into children’s lives, and I think the foundation starts from us,” she said.
Parkview has a focus on serving young children with special needs, alongside children who are developing more typically. Maria adapts her teaching to each child’s needs, ranging from children who need an extra challenge, to one boy she physically supports by placing her hand over his to help with activities like finger painting. Wherever the children start, she helps them learn new skills. And seeing them develop is one of the joys of the job.
“The children that I work with, each one comes with their own need and learning style, and I think I like the fact that I have been able to meet each of their needs,” she said. “Even the tiniest progress that I see or the parents see, the parents saying, ‘Oh my gosh, since he’s been in your classroom he’s talking more, or he’s doing more things on his own.”
Maria also uses her Spanish language skills to support children learning English as a second language. She described one girl she taught years ago, who was primarily Spanish speaking and whose English improved dramatically while she was in Maria’s class. Years later, Maria ran into that girl’s mother in the community.
“She said, ‘You were just the most amazing teacher, you came into her life at the time that she really needed it.’” That girl had since graduated from high school with honors. This story, and others like it, are part of what Maria loves about her job. “Listening to parents when you run into them, how much you helped their child, that’s the reward that you get,” she said.
Maria Herrera has taught the young children of Roswell for more than 20 years. She’s worked in child care, Head Start, and now as a PreK teacher at Parkview Early Literacy Center. She chose this career, and earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood, because she sees the impact of her work. “We’re the first teachers that come into children’s lives, and I think the foundation starts from us,” she said.
Parkview has a focus on serving young children with special needs, alongside children who are developing more typically. Maria adapts her teaching to each child’s needs, ranging from children who need an extra challenge, to one boy she physically supports by placing her hand over his to help with activities like finger painting. Wherever the children start, she helps them learn new skills. And seeing them develop is one of the joys of the job.
“The children that I work with, each one comes with their own need and learning style, and I think I like the fact that I have been able to meet each of their needs,” she said. “Even the tiniest progress that I see or the parents see, the parents saying, ‘Oh my gosh, since he’s been in your classroom he’s talking more, or he’s doing more things on his own.”
“We’re the first teachers that come into children's lives, and I think the foundation starts from us.”
Maria also uses her Spanish language skills to support children learning English as a second language. She described one girl she taught years ago, who was primarily Spanish speaking and whose English improved dramatically while she was in Maria’s class. Years later, Maria ran into that girl’s mother in the community.
“She said, ‘You were just the most amazing teacher, you came into her life at the time that she really needed it.’” That girl had since graduated from high school with honors. This story, and others like it, are part of what Maria loves about her job. “Listening to parents when you run into them, how much you helped their child, that’s the reward that you get,” she said.
When families have concerns or questions about their child’s growth and progress, Robyn Marton is there to help. As a developmental specialist at the ENMRSH early intervention program, her team helps families with young children reach key milestones. From swallowing to cooing to walking to talking, Robyn and her team help with all of it.
“I love my job because not only do we get to watch the children develop in front of us, we get to help support them throughout,” she said. Although families often first enroll for help with a particular area, Robyn’s team can work with them on other skills, too. And in the first three years of life, there’s a lot of development going on.
“Birth to three, you’re going to hit those big milestones,” Robyn said. “You get the reward of being that person to help that family, support them, and walk that line with them.”
Sometimes walking that line means telling families about routines and exercises that can support their child’s development. Other times, it means navigating public systems so families can get what they need. Robyn recently helped a family get Medicaid approval for a baby-sized walker. Their baby has a club foot and wears a boot nearly all the time, making it hard for her to learn to walk. The walker will help, and Robyn is excited to support the family in using it.
“I love my job because not only do we get to watch the children develop in front of us, we get to help support them throughout.”
Robyn always knew she wanted to work with children, as she grew up helping out in a child care center her mother owned. It was later on, in college, that she found the field of child development and realized it was for her. Robyn said she initially wanted to specialize in speech development, but now loves the variety of working with families on everything from gripping to swallowing.
“If you have that passion with kids and you love working with kids and seeing the joy in their faces—and the challenges—you learn as you go in this job,” she said.
When families have concerns or questions about their child’s growth and progress, Robyn Marton is there to help. As a developmental specialist at the ENMRSH early intervention program, her team helps families with young children reach key milestones. From swallowing to cooing to walking to talking, Robyn and her team help with all of it.
“I love my job because not only do we get to watch the children develop in front of us, we get to help support them throughout,” she said. Although families often first enroll for help with a particular area, Robyn’s team can work with them on other skills, too. And in the first three years of life, there’s a lot of development going on.
“Birth to three, you’re going to hit those big milestones,” Robyn said. “You get the reward of being that person to help that family, support them, and walk that line with them.”
Sometimes walking that line means telling families about routines and exercises that can support their child’s development. Other times, it means navigating public systems so families can get what they need. Robyn recently helped a family get Medicaid approval for a baby-sized walker. Their baby has a club foot and wears a boot nearly all the time, making it hard for her to learn to walk. The walker will help, and Robyn is excited to support the family in using it.
“I love my job because not only do we get to watch the children develop in front of us, we get to help support them throughout.”
Robyn always knew she wanted to work with children, as she grew up helping out in a child care center her mother owned. It was later on, in college, that she found the field of child development and realized it was for her. Robyn said she initially wanted to specialize in speech development, but now loves the variety of working with families on everything from gripping to swallowing.
“If you have that passion with kids and you love working with kids and seeing the joy in their faces—and the challenges—you learn as you go in this job,” she said.
“That’s what I always wanted to do, is come back to my Pueblo and help my youth, the kids. I really like it a lot.”
At the Ohkay Owingeh Head Start, students learn their colors and numbers in both English and Tewa. Stephanie Aguino, who teaches there, said that makes her work especially meaningful. “I think it’s really good for our little ones to start learning it,” she said. “I think it makes a lot of our elders happy to hear it, and it makes me happy to hear it. … You’re kind of introducing them to their culture.”
Stephanie knows enough Tewa to teach vocabulary, and a Tewa language teacher also comes into the classroom regularly for focused language lessons. As part of a recent unit on gardens, children learned the Tewa words for fruits and vegetables. Stephanie said language and cultural education became extra important due to COVID-19, since many cultural traditions and group events were canceled.
“Most of them now, especially with COVID, don’t know our culture and our dances because we haven’t had anything since the pandemic,” she said. “So, it’s a lot of getting them to understand that they are Native, and this is what we normally would be doing.”
Stephanie has always wanted a job that helps the young people in Ohkay Owingeh. She started out working at her Tribe’s Boys and Girls Club, and was especially drawn to teaching younger students. Last year she finished her associate degree in early childhood, and is now taking classes online toward a bachelor’s degree. She said her schooling all connects to her classroom experience, and has strengthened her teaching.
One of Stephanie’s favorite parts of the day is circle time, when the children are all together and are (mostly) paying attention to one activity or lesson. “I enjoy hearing all their responses and seeing them make that connection in their heads,” she said. “You can kind of see it on their face like, ‘Oh, I know that letter.’ I really like when they are able to make those connections. It makes me feel like I’m helping them get to where they need to be in their learning.”
At the Ohkay Owingeh Head Start, students learn their colors and numbers in both English and Tewa. Stephanie Aguino, who teaches there, said that makes her work especially meaningful. “I think it’s really good for our little ones to start learning it,” she said. “I think it makes a lot of our elders happy to hear it, and it makes me happy to hear it. … You’re kind of introducing them to their culture.”
Stephanie knows enough Tewa to teach vocabulary, and a Tewa language teacher also comes into the classroom regularly for focused language lessons. As part of a recent unit on gardens, children learned the Tewa words for fruits and vegetables. Stephanie said language and cultural education became extra important due to COVID-19, since many cultural traditions and group events were canceled.
“Most of them now, especially with COVID, don’t know our culture and our dances because we haven’t had anything since the pandemic,” she said. “So, it’s a lot of getting them to understand that they are Native, and this is what we normally would be doing.”
“That’s what I always wanted to do, is come back to my Pueblo and help my youth, the kids. I really like it a lot.”
Stephanie has always wanted a job that helps the young people in Ohkay Owingeh. She started out working at her Tribe’s Boys and Girls Club, and was especially drawn to teaching younger students. Last year she finished her associate degree in early childhood, and is now taking classes online toward a bachelor’s degree. She said her schooling all connects to her classroom experience, and has strengthened her teaching.
One of Stephanie’s favorite parts of the day is circle time, when the children are all together and are (mostly) paying attention to one activity or lesson. “I enjoy hearing all their responses and seeing them make that connection in their heads,” she said. “You can kind of see it on their face like, ‘Oh, I know that letter.’ I really like when they are able to make those connections. It makes me feel like I’m helping them get to where they need to be in their learning.”
Alex Miller has a degree in astrophysics, and the preschoolers he teaches think that is pretty cool. Alex recalls a time when he told a particular child for the first time that he has a degree in the science of outer space. They were talking about planets and moons, and Alex chimed in that he went to “planetarium school,” for college. The reaction was immediate: “The way their eyes lit up, and just their jaw dropped like, ‘That’s so cool!’”
This enthusiasm is part of what Alex likes about his job teaching at the University of New Mexico Children’s Campus. The kids aren’t just amazed by the possibilities of “planetarium school” and outer space, but by new experiences and discoveries every day. “I just love how in awe of everything kids are,” he said. “Everything is great and amazing when you’re three.”
Alex’s teaching centers on harnessing that enthusiasm, and building learning opportunities around children’s interests. He said he learned that from his mom, who was also an early childhood educator (and who nurtured his early love of space). That can mean building conversations and activities around anything from snakes to transforming robots to LEGOs.
“I just love how imaginative they all are. They just come up and tell me the wildest things.”
LEGOs are a particular hit. Alex has an extensive collection of LEGO figures, and has brought them in occasionally for the children to use. For them, that’s an extremely cool Friday. But for their teachers, it’s a chance to support all kinds of learning.
“Yeah, it’s fun to have LEGOs, but it also does help them develop their fine motor skills, having these tiny little things to put together,” he said. “And since it was this giant group activity, they needed to work on their communication skills with that, so helping them facilitate trading pieces or asking for help finding something.”
And when his latest group of preschoolers graduated, Alex gave them each a personalized goodbye gift: A picture of a LEGO figure he made to look just like each of them.
Alex Miller has a degree in astrophysics, and the preschoolers he teaches think that is pretty cool. Alex recalls a time when he told a particular child for the first time that he has a degree in the science of outer space. They were talking about planets and moons, and Alex chimed in that he went to “planetarium school,” for college. The reaction was immediate: “The way their eyes lit up, and just their jaw dropped like, ‘That’s so cool!’”
This enthusiasm is part of what Alex likes about his job teaching at the University of New Mexico Children’s Campus. The kids aren’t just amazed by the possibilities of “planetarium school” and outer space, but by new experiences and discoveries every day. “I just love how in awe of everything kids are,” he said. “Everything is great and amazing when you’re three.”
Alex’s teaching centers on harnessing that enthusiasm, and building learning opportunities around children’s interests. He said he learned that from his mom, who was also an early childhood educator (and who nurtured his early love of space). That can mean building conversations and activities around anything from snakes to transforming robots to LEGOs.
“I just love how imaginative they all are. They just come up and tell me the wildest things.”
LEGOs are a particular hit. Alex has an extensive collection of LEGO figures, and has brought them in occasionally for the children to use. For them, that’s an extremely cool Friday. But for their teachers, it’s a chance to support all kinds of learning.
“Yeah, it’s fun to have LEGOs, but it also does help them develop their fine motor skills, having these tiny little things to put together,” he said. “And since it was this giant group activity, they needed to work on their communication skills with that, so helping them facilitate trading pieces or asking for help finding something.”
And when his latest group of preschoolers graduated, Alex gave them each a personalized goodbye gift: A picture of a LEGO figure he made to look just like each of them.
"They have to kick me out at the end of my shift. I feel like this is the place that I am going to retire from when I’m old."
Kristie Foreman has been in the early childhood field since practically her own early childhood. Her mom ran a home-based child care when Kristie was young, and she would help out in small ways, even as a 7-year-old. By the time she was a teenager, Kristie was hooked. “I’ve known since I was about 15 that I was going to be in early child care,” she said. “I knew the first time I babysat that I wanted to do it professionally, but I wanted to do more than just watch kids. I wanted to educate them at an early age.”
Now, Kristie does exactly that. She is the lead infant room teacher at East Gate Kids, where she supports the learning and development of children from six weeks to one year old. She has taught most age groups in her career, but the infant room is where she loves to be.
“The infant room is my calling, because I get to see a lot more development in a short period of time,” she said. In that first year, she supports babies from controlling their heads to beginning to walk.
“When you get a 6-week-old baby all the way up until they turn one year old, seeing all those stages and all their accomplishments, you just know that you helped them get there,” she said. And for Kristie, that feeling is more rewarding than her paycheck.
“I’m not in this job for money, I’m in it for the joy I get from it,” she said. But concrete rewards are available, too. Kristie receives early childhood wage supplements from the state, plus scholarships that cover tuition for online classes she’s taking toward a degree in child development.
Kristie is still early in her career, but she has found a job where she can see herself building a life. “They have to kick me out at the end of my shift,” she said. “I feel like this is the place I’m going to retire from when I’m old.”
Kristie Foreman has been in the early childhood field since practically her own early childhood. Her mom ran a home-based child care when Kristie was young, and she would help out in small ways, even as a 7-year-old. By the time she was a teenager, Kristie was hooked. “I’ve known since I was about 15 that I was going to be in early child care,” she said. “I knew the first time I babysat that I wanted to do it professionally, but I wanted to do more than just watch kids. I wanted to educate them at an early age.”
Now, Kristie does exactly that. She is the lead infant room teacher at East Gate Kids, where she supports the learning and development of children from six weeks to one year old. She has taught most age groups in her career, but the infant room is where she loves to be.
“The infant room is my calling, because I get to see a lot more development in a short period of time,” she said. In that first year, she supports babies from controlling their heads to beginning to walk.
"They have to kick me out at the end of my shift. I feel like this is the place that I am going to retire from when I’m old."
“When you get a 6-week-old baby all the way up until they turn one year old, seeing all those stages and all their accomplishments, you just know that you helped them get there,” she said. And for Kristie, that feeling is more rewarding than her paycheck.
“I’m not in this job for money, I’m in it for the joy I get from it,” she said. But concrete rewards are available, too. Kristie receives early childhood wage supplements from the state, plus scholarships that cover tuition for online classes she’s taking toward a degree in child development.
Kristie is still early in her career, but she has found a job where she can see herself building a life. “They have to kick me out at the end of my shift,” she said. “I feel like this is the place I’m going to retire from when I’m old.”