Stacey Young

I did a million other jobs and then I wanted to be a jumpmaster but studylink don’t fund you for that. And you don’t want to go cheap on skydiving equipment! Then I went oh my goodness I like children; and then it became a passion.

I was still in teacher training when I came here (Cherry’s) on a placement. It took a while to wiggle into the place because I’m quite self-conscious as a person and talking to parents is a big part of the job here. It’s the scariest thing but I’ve found my voice through being authentic to who I am. Kids are on my level; I am pretty much a toddler (laugh).
I feel like now, at this age, I’m just coming into my own. Starting to realise what makes me me; and just sticking with it I guess. Finding a love of gardening out of nowhere really re-connected me with nature and made me think how important that is for our children and how it just interlinks with everything, it’s amazing. And I kinda found my grounding through it. Yeah I feel like such an adult – ewww. (laugh)

I’m planting over 130 varieties of heritage seeds in my garden and plan to share some in the centre for the children to plant; we are going to make some little mobile gardens.
Being more sustainable in my choices is something I’m still learning. Parents can find it quite overwhelming but are really open to making a change for the planet and their children, so little projects like this; it’s a good leeway into it. They can feel empowered and that that can lead to anything really.

When you look at the eyes of the children when they are in wonder and awe and you speak to the parents, when you feel like you’ve made a difference, it makes it all worthwhile.
Once you watch something grow, it shows you can do anything.