Hired in 2007 at Toddle Towne Learning Center’s Alton location, Samantha’s determination and dedication kicked in to make that entry position just the first rung on a tall ladder she climbed to her new role as the center director of Toddle Towne’s East Alton location.  

According to Susan Berry, Toddle Towne’s executive director, “Ms. Samantha has been steadily marching forward since the day she arrived. She is one of the rare staff members who has occupied nearly every position and spent time with every age group, from the youngest toddlers all the way up to our school-age kids.” In fact, Ms. Samantha led Dynamite Day Camp, the school’s summer day camp program, for 15 years. The eight-week program is the highlight of summer for children entering 1st through 4th grade in the coming school year. With a heavy emphasis on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) activities, Dynamite Day Camp features inspiring guest speakers, entertaining field trips, and educational activities designed to keep kids’ skills sharp all summer long, all while having a blast! Samantha says, “It was so rewarding to talk with the kids after each field trip, listening to them describe all the new things they learned and their favorite parts. I loved how enthusiastic they were every time — whether we went to the St Louis Zoo, Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, or the Melvin Price Lock and Dam. They were bubbling with excitement!”

For Samantha, the benefit of having her two boys attend the school where she worked was a huge perk. She says, “I loved bringing them with me every morning, and as a mom, knowing they were safe in the classroom down the hall, playing and learning was pure joy.” When they were young, she took evening classes and online courses at Lewis and Clark Community College to bolster her education. She diligently gathered the semester hours required to move from teacher assistant-qualified to teacher-qualified to program coordinator-qualified to director-qualified. 

The pandemic was an extremely difficult time for childcare centers, and many were forced to close. It is tragic, but even today, several counties in Southern Illinois have zero licensed home care or childcare centers. Once again, showing great personal initiative and unbeknownst to Toddle Towne’s leadership team, Samantha used this time to apply for an Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) scholarship. (See below) The state’s Illinois Student Assistance Commission offers these scholarships to help people already working in a licensed center increase their education. 

When Samantha took the steps to become director-certified, she sadly knew it likely meant leaving Toddle Towne if she wanted to pursue a director-level position. Ms. Pam and Ms. Julie, the two center directors, had each been established for some time. But in a lucky twist of fate, just three months before she graduated, Ms. Pam announced her retirement after 45 years. Samantha surprised Toddle Towne’s leadership team by informing them she would be fully qualified in time and applied for the position. Ms. Susan says, “It was such a happy surprise! We were impressed by Samantha’s dedication to her professional growth. That, combined with her years of building a solid foundation at Toddle Towne to understand how we operate on behalf of our children, made the decision easy.” A succession plan was developed, and Ms. Samantha took over at the beginning of the year. Moving to the East Alton center from Alton brought many new faces. Ms. Samantha shared that the staff and children were so welcoming; it made all the years of hard work and late nights well worth it!