“It has been a long journey, but if you dream and have the ambition and want to work hard, then you can achieve” (Mo Farah).
One person whose ambitious nature has led her to great things is Maegan King.
After graduating high school, Maegan spent a couple of years at MCC and was creating a plan for continuing her education to get a degree in education. Originally, she planned to become an elementary teacher; however, she changed her direction a little when she started working through a different program that gave her the opportunity to see how things work in a variety of classroom settings.
“I was actually going to school to be an elementary teacher. For two years, I had taken all of my basics for that,” explained Maegan. “I was about to transfer to Mississippi State when they told me about the early childhood program. I got in that program and had to go to different daycares and then a public school on certain days of the week. Every time I would go to the public school, the teachers were never really able to interact with the kids and that the assistant had to do more of the interaction. The teacher was always busy having to take care of everything else in the classroom to teach. As I watched, I decided that isn’t what I want to do. I wanted to be able to actually interact with the kids.”
It wasn’t long after her experience that Maegan did find a job where she was able to work closely and interact with kids.
“I had taken a part time job at the Shepherd’s Staff as an afterschool teacher before I had even gotten in the program,” stated Maegan. “They ended up offering me the job teaching the two year old class, and I took it. I loved it so much.”
Although she loved being able to interact with and teach the two-year olds at the Shepherd’s Staff, Maegan has always been ambitious and was still working to do even more. She was successful and now has a new position at the daycare.
“I just got my CDA for being director of a daycare,” expressed Maegan. “I’ve been promoted to the director of the Shepherd’s staff and have officially been the director for a few weeks now. The job just landed in my lap. I wasn’t looking for it. I was still with my two year olds and doing fine when my boss told me to hurry up on my classes. She told me when her last day would be, and I realized I would have to do all eight units for my class in one week.”
She didn’t get much sleep, but Maegan was able to do what most people would say is impossible: she completed all eight units that she needed in order to complete the program and be a daycare director.
“I managed to do everything I needed to in a week,” explained Maegan. “That’s about 120 hours worth of work that I did in only seven days.”
Now that she is the director, Maegan is adjusting to the new work responsibilities as “principal” and has plans to make sure that the kids are able to get everything they can while they are in the classroom.
“I plan to try my best at it. I want people to be able to know that no matter how young you are, if you put your mind to something, you can do it. I’ve learned a lot of information in a week, but I’m getting there,” stated Maegan. “I like knowing that I have control over all of the kids and not just one class. I can make sure now that everything is being done in all the classrooms and not just my own. Now that I’m in charge, I can make sure that all the kids have the structure that they need.”
With all of the time she now spends at the school making sure everything is taken care of, it is hard to imagine that Maegan has time for anything else. She does have things she enjoys doing outside of the school setting, though.
“When I’m not working, I spend a lot of time with my friends and my boyfriend, Zack,” said Maegan. “Now that school is done, I actually have some free time on the weekends to spend time having fun and relaxing with friends and family.”
With a type A personality and her kind, optimistic heart, Maegan is guaranteed to succeed in whatever she puts her mind to.
