Florida teacher finds fulfillment on the job

January 23, 2020

Published by CounciLINK on January 23, 2020


Ashley-LacayoMost folks at West Broward High School root for their baseball team, the Bobcats. Many of them are also fans of Ashley Lacayo, who’s been a teacher at the Pembroke Pines school for over six years. Ashley has earned a lot of points for the numerous credits earned by students in the early childhood education program and the high number of them who succeed in earning their Child Development Associate TM (CDA) credential.

Ashley steps up to the plate each day at work because her greatest passion in life is early childhood education. “I’ve always known that I wanted to be a teacher and make a positive impact on the lives of young children,” she says. So, she completed the ECE program at Broward High more than 10 years ago, and she’s been in the field ever since.

She began her career by working at college campus preschools while earning her bachelor’s degree in ECE. Afterward, she intended to continue teaching preschool. Then her game plan changed after hearing that her alma mater had a position open for an ECE instructor.

Since coming home to Broward High, she’s found tremendous fulfillment in her work. “I experienced first-hand how this type of program opened my eyes to the teaching profession, and I am privileged to open those doors for future educators,” she says. Besides helping some 70 students to earn their CDA each year, she serves as associate director of the school’s learning lab preschool, where she works alongside a colleague who was once her teacher. Together, they serve about 18 children each year and Ashley puts in lots of extra hours to make sure her students give these little baby bobcats the care and education they need.

Her readiness to put in those extra innings has helped make her a superstar teacher. So has her ongoing commitment to lifelong learning. Her goal now is to earn a master’s, then teach ECE at the college level during the summers. And no doubt she’ll bat a thousand in whatever she decides to do.

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