ESU 16 - Providing Visionary Leadership

My dad always advised “find a job that feels like play.”  (He’s a rancher.)  So I did!  I’ve been “playing” in ESU 16 early childhood for over 30 years and loved every minute of it.  I have an undergraduate degree from UNL in early childhood and early childhood special education, and a master’s degree from Vanderbilt University in special education.  Along the way I’ve picked up endorsements in behavior, resource, early childhood special education, and early childhood.  I’ve also had a ton of training in autism spectrum disorders and serve on the ESU 16 Autism Team.

Believe it or not - I have been with ESU 16 over 30 years! This has been my one and only teaching position. I graduated from Kearney State College in Fall of 1987 and started with ESU 16 in August 1988. When I first started teaching at ESU 16, I had the 5-8 year old class at the Special Services Center. My job has evolved over the years wearing several hats - Resource Teacher, SPED Consultant, Speech/Language Assistant, to my passion - Early Childhood Special Education Teacher. I love working with families, day care providers, preschool teachers and of course, babies, toddlers, and preschoolers! I have a love for pre-literacy with children and making books come alive for children.

I graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with both my Bachelor of Science and Master of Science Degrees. I have worked with ESU 16 for 28 years and counting! All of those years I have been involved in some way with preschool aged children. After the first five years, I transitioned from part school-age to full-time early childhood/preschool and that is where my heart lies. My heart is full when I can hear “Ms. Becky!!” from outside, even before walking into the house or the minute I walk into the classroom. I also love the collaboration aspect of working with other team members to help speech/language skills that are integrated with other developmental areas of need.

As the most recent addition to the early childhood team, I have been a Speech Language Pathologist for over eight years.    I have worked with children in a variety of settings that include outpatient pediatric clinics, non profit agencies, early intervention and preschool. My passion is for early language development, feeding therapy and motor speech disorders. I love to see children thrive in their homes and communities.  I received my undergraduate degree from Penn State University and my masters from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.

I have been an SLP with ESU 16 for 15 years!  Time flies when you are having fun!  I received my undergraduate degree at University of Nebraska Lincoln and then my Masters from California State University Northridge.  I have worked with school age children all 15 years and have added working with preschoolers more recently 3 years ago.  I love kids and helping them learn to communicate so they can share their wants, needs, thoughts and interests in a way others can understand them! 

I’m a prime example of “things happen for a reason”. I do have a college degree but, ironically, it isn’t for early childhood. Life took an unexpected turn that has led me to being a services coordinator for 15 years now. I have attended all of the mandatory trainings and workshops required and others (too many to count) on a plethora of topics where I have gained a lot of knowledge about resources and child development. It is never a dull moment and I’m usually doing something different every day. I take a lot of pride in helping the families I work with; I have learned a lot from them and the providers I work with as well. After all of these years, if I have made a difference in someone's life, that is all I can ask.

Prior to joining the ESU 16 team, I served as a Paraprofessional for special education at my children's school. During this time, I had the privilege of witnessing the remarkable and groundbreaking initiatives that ESU 16 undertook with the students I worked with. It was during this period that I knew ESU 16 was the perfect workplace for me. After several years, I was fortunate enough to be offered a position on their staff. Currently, I dedicate my working hours to assisting families in acquiring the services that best cater to their individual needs, in my role as a services coordinator. 

I have been an Occupational Therapist on the Early Childhood team for 22 years.  I completed my undergraduate studies at Chadron State College and graduated from Creighton University with my Bachelor’s of Occupational Therapy degree.   I have worked in the ESU 16 area since graduating from college.  I love helping children develop their fine motor skills and always strive to build their confidence.

Almost 11 years ago, I began working as an Occupational Therapist with ESU 16 after graduating from Creighton University with my Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy. I completed my undergraduate coursework at Chadron State College (my first experience “out west” after growing up in eastern Nebraska). I have a passion for environmental setup and accessibility and helping kids be as independent as they can in their daily endeavors. 

For the past 28 years, I have been an occupational therapist working in pediatric hospitals, outpatient clinics, and schools in 4 different states. It is an honor to work with our youngest, and most fragile (and resilient) clients. I enjoy helping families find just the right strategy to help their child progress and see the delight on the faces of our itty-bitty clients when they reach that next milestone. In my spare time, I volunteer as the assistant director of Operation Shine Camp. 

I completed my undergraduate degree at Doane and received my Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from UNMC. As a parent of a child with different abilities, I have seen firsthand the impact the early childhood team can have on the lives of children and their families.   I am excited to collaborate with parents and the early childhood team to help the natural development of movement and give children a strong foundation in gross motor skills.