Staff Stories – Katelyn: Early Head Start Teacher

Katelyn Maday has been a teacher at Reach-Up since 2019, where she has spent time as both a Head Start Teacher and Early Head Start Teacher. Prior to joining our team, she was a preschool teacher at a local childcare center. 

“I wanted a job where I was able to learn and grow both personally and professionally,” Katelyn shared. “Reach-Up has provided me with the opportunity to learn more about myself, early childhood education, and life by providing great training and hands-on experiences throughout each program year.”

“My colleagues and teammates at Reach-Up are both dedicated and caring. We work as a team and get the support we need from supervisors and management. This is such a great place to work and is very rewarding.”

Beyond a supportive, encouraging staff, Katelyn called out the flexibility Reach-Up provides as a great benefit of being part of our team. “My workday is typically from around 7:30 am to around 3:30 pm – then I get to go home. I’m never expected to work nights, weekends, or holidays. Not a lot of jobs can say that.” 

As an Early Head Start Teacher, Katelyn spends her days full of fun – focusing on activities that are geared toward using play to foster a child’s cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development. “My days typically include greeting children as they come into our classroom, reading stories, dancing, singing songs, and partnering with student families to help children thrive and grow. I have watched children and families overcome obstacles financially, difficult relationships, or children being behind developmentally. Being able to celebrate with both a child and their family … seeing the smiles on their faces … it makes everything I do worth it.” 

When asked to describe her career with Reach-Up in just 3 words, she chose Rewarding, Enriching, and Growth.