Paula Rigero, Early Childhood Career Advisor, Colleges of Worcester Consortium Inc.
Rigero
In Paula Rigero's new, grant-funded position she will help with a joint effort by the Consortium, the YWCA and others to educate more early childhood teachers. She's both excited about drawing nontraditional students into the field and well aware of the challenges they will face.
Vital Stats:
Residence: Worcester
Family: Married with three grown, married, children and four grandsons.
Education: Master's in Education from Cambridge College; bachelor's in Education from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; associate's in Early Childhood Education from Quinsigamond Community College.
Previous job: Child Care Program Director, UMass Memorial Health Care
Start date at new job: January 5, 2009
Q. How are you settling in at your new office?
A. Wonderfully. Everyone here at the Consortium has been welcoming and supportive. I'm fortunate to have advisors available from the Consortium's Educational Opportunity Center who will offer assistance to students with college applications and the financial aid process.
Q. What's the biggest surprise you've had starting the job?
A. The willingness of the Early Childhood Education college program partners from Anna Maria College, Becker College, Quinsigamond Community College, and Worcester State College to meet with me, and share their time, information, and resources, in support of non-traditional students.
Q. What challenges do you see in the new position?
A. Finding ways to support and perhaps inspire students to complete degree requirements while they are working in full-time jobs in the child care field, raising families, or caring for elderly parents.
Q. How different is this job from your previous position?
A. Although I was doing some of this with my staff at UMass, my main focus had been the oversight of the entire child care program including staff and families at two facilities. My main focus now is helping one individual at a time achieve academic success one course at a time and then build on that success.
Q. How close is this to what you imagined in high school you'd end up doing?
A. Not close at all. I married and had a family before I took my first college course. But, I think this will be a good match because having been a non-traditional student myself, I have empathy for and an understanding of what the students that I'm working with are facing. I've encountered many of the same issues that are challenging today's working student.
Q. Where's the best place to get lunch near your new location?
A. I hear that Block 5 is terrific and it's within walking distance. I hope to try it when the weather warms up.
Q. What do you hope to be doing 10 years from now?
A. For now I'm committed to working on this grant for the next three years. After that I'll begin to think about what's next.
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