When she returned to Stephens, she helped her sorority organize a stuffed animal drive. Seeing the children respond positively to the opportunity to learn invigorated Tyler’s appreciation of the program. While an undergraduate student, Tyler recalls visiting her hometown Head Start to help deliver a lesson on recycling to the children there. She credits the program for her future success in school.Īfter graduating high school, Tyler attended Stephens College, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Business. Head Start made attending preschool possible for Tyler. “Each child got to wear a graduation cap and gown, and families attended to celebrate the occasion. “The teachers made a big deal when we graduated from Head Start,” says Tyler. Graduation from Head Start is a special memory for Tyler. “In the program, we enjoyed field trips to local venues, healthy meals, opportunities to build good friendships, and a learning environment accessible to children of all abilities, cultural backgrounds, and economic statuses”. “Head Start is a high-quality program,” says Tyler. She recalls the experience as empowering and vital to her success in later life. While most of the children attending Head Start come from low-income homes, Tyler says she never felt like the Head Start program was for low-income kids. Our teachers would assign us to be lunch helpers or toy helpers and I took pride in fulfilling my responsibilities in these roles.” ![]() At Head Start, I learned about the concept of community. “I attended the morning session of a half-day program in Cuba, MO. “Head Start improved my life,” says Tyler. ![]() Her grandmother worked as a Head Start teacher for the Missouri Community Action of the Ozarks and helped her mom enroll Tyler in Head Start. Growing up as an only child in a single-parent household, Tyler began attending Head Start after her mom and stepdad divorced. ![]() “I remember that we got to go across the street from our Head Start center and have our teeth checked and then choose a prize from the treasure chest,” says Tyler. Tyler Rieke’s first memory of attending Head Start was a trip to the dentist.
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