By Tashia Lemon-Guillory

Tashia Lemon-Guillory recently shared her Head Start success story with the National Head Start Association.

She says, “After I graduated college with a degree in early education, I wasn’t sure what I wanted my focus area to be. At that time, I thought I might pursue an advanced degree in social work, but I was unsure. It was a visit to my Head Start program that brought the clarity I needed. During an outing with a friend, I paid a visit to my former Head Start center in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, and encountered my former teacher. I was struck by how, after so many years, she was still inspiring children and families. It was then that I realized I wanted to have that kind of impact on children and families, and Head Start was the exact place to do that.

“I am currently the director of the Lawtell Head Start Center in Lawtell, Louisiana, and I have been here for 18 years. I cherish the opportunity to give back what I received to the same parish where I attended. On a regular basis, as an educator, I get to clearly see the academic and social differences between students who attended Head Start and those who have not. I have the triple honor of being a Head Start alumna, working in Head Start, and having a child who also attended Head Start. My son Collin graduated high school and went on to attend Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina. He is studying biology and considering a possible career in physical therapy. Like so many others, our family is living proof of the impact Head Start has on children, families, and their trajectories. I attended Head Start, came to work with Head Start, and I remain with Head Start because Head Start changes lives.”

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