Jenea Prichard has lived and taught in Wichita, Kansas for most of her life, spending 27 years in early childhood education. In the fall of 2024, she decided to take her career to the next level by returning to school. Once she realized the time was right, she got in touch with a former colleague, now a professor in the online Master of Science in Early Childhood Unified program at Emporia State University, to talk about the decision. “I was able to talk to her and she relieved that anxiety of a 40 plus-year-old woman going back to school after not being in school for so many years,” Jenea said. “I thought to myself, you know what, I can do this because talking with the college and professors relieved a lot of anxieties that I had put on myself. My former colleague and future professor was a big advocate for me to go back because she knew through previous conversations that we had had in the past how much I did want to return.”
Throughout the program, Jenea has continued teaching full time, thanks to the asynchronous, online format of the coursework. “Online learning for me was very helpful because I got to self-pace my learning and do my assignments but still enjoy my life,” she said. Being able to apply what she’s learning to her work as a teacher has also been a fulfilling aspect of the program. She often found herself reminded of teaching techniques she had replaced or forgotten about and was able to try out new ones that give her more control of the classroom.
The faculty in the Early Childhood Unified program have been a huge help to Jenea throughout her studies. “They’ve helped us a lot through assignments and answering questions,” she said. “I never felt afraid to reach out to them and say, ‘hey, I don’t quite understand what you want,’ or even sending them a beginning part of a project and saying, ‘am I doing it like I’m supposed to be doing it right now?’”
While Jenea describes all of her classes so far as being positive experiences, there have already been some standouts she considers favorites. “One of my classes directly affected my work in the classroom even now,” she said. “It was a class that focused on introducing Creative Arts in the Inclusive Early Childhood Classroom. This class had you really dig into your past experiences and had you think about your own culture story growing up, your own biases, and how that affects your teaching, which is not something that I really had thought much about. That was very eye opening for my teaching philosophy and the culture of my classroom.”
It’s been an eye-opening journey for Jenea to realize she can still improve the work she does in education. Earning her master’s degree will not only advance her on the pay scale but also reinforce her credibility as a long-time advocate for children. The program has expanded her ability to guide families toward helpful resources, apply new strategies in the classroom, and continue uplifting her community through education.
Jenea is passionate when advocating for the program. “I would say anybody who is even thinking about going back to school for whatever reason, whatever degree, try Emporia State because they have been completely understanding and flexible,” she said. “You can work at a pace that is good for you, which is helpful to be able to still keep your life and do the things you love. Just remember, you’re never too old to learn. You’re never too old to have a new insight in life. And you can do it.”
Earn Your Master of Science in Early Childhood Unified Online
Emporia State University’s online Master of Science in Early Childhood Unified program is designed to build key leadership skills and open the doors to exciting new career opportunities. With an asynchronous structure, the program provides the freedom and flexibility to earn your degree on your own time, regardless of your busy schedule. This CAEP-accredited program will prepare you to help children up to age eight thrive in early childhood settings.
The experienced faculty at Emporia State will be there every step of the way to help you succeed and prepare you to advance your career in education. Learn more and apply today!
