Autobiography

My name is Shantrice Solis and currently I’m working at Goodman Community Center located in
Madison WI, as an assistant director of youth and career development. I’m also a student at the
University of Wisconsin Whitewater pursuing my bachelor’s in early childhood education with
emphasis on Leadership.

On my first day working in the ECE program I felt filled and like I was on the right path. Within
the first 6 months of being at Kennedy I was taking entry -level trainings courses daily, I was
doing it all, just so I could soak up as much knowledge as possible. I was finding ways to
support the families and the community. I even became a F.A.S.T (Families and Schools
Together) team member so I could help support the parent, child, school, and community
relationships. Since being at Goodman I had the opportunity to work as a community
engagement specialist and high school partnerships manger. In my current role I’m able to
connect with teens, preschoolers and the community.

As the oldest of 8, I was always babysitting my siblings and kids in my neighborhood. I knew I
was going to be teaching or working in the community advocating for children’s rights to have
quality and equal education, resources and care. I’ve always had a passion for community
engagement and working with children.

One of the things that brought me towards the field of early childhood and teaching was my
boss, Patrina White. Patrina saw my gift and the passion I had for trauma informed care, and
my ability to make connections with the children, and teach them new skills. Just having her
support and my family verified what I was thinking about pursuing for a while. I also value the
sense of community and encouraging reading to our children at a young age. I also think that is
very important for children who live in areas that I work in to see someone who looks like them
teach them as well.

My passion for the early childhood field comes from the desire to make a child feel important
and valued as a person. While making a difference in their lives, supporting their families and
their community. My main goal is to provide and create a safe environment where they can play,
learn, discover, and use their imagination. I want children to be excited about learning and
eager to express themselves through art. Another goal would be to support each child I work
with literacy and language development.
My goal currently is to graduate with my BA and continue on towards my masters in CEED
program at Milwaukee. I hope once I’ve completed school I can work for non-profits like Rise or
be a director of a community center in Minnesota or Chicago. It would also be great to teach
others on the importance of trauma informed care or advocated for closing the achievement
gap. In the end my overall goal is to help and support children’s growth and development. Love
them and create a strong foundation for learning throughout their lives.