Coburn1

Addison Coburn

Professor Isabell Garcia

English 134

3 February 2024

Directing our Future Generation

Jennifer Coburn, as a preschool director, plays a critical role in shaping the experience of

young children during their formative years. Having a stellar preschool director can make a world

of difference in early childhood development. They are like the captains of little exploratory ships,

setting the course for a child’s educational journey, ensuring both a nurturing and intellectually

stimulating environment, fostering a love for learning right from the start. “One of the core

responsibilities of childcare director is to ensure the program is not only providing a safe

environment but also one in which they will develop the skills and mindsets required for a

successful transition into more formal education” (U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics). Commented [AC1]: find better quote to describe what a
director is for audience who might be unclear

When growing up, Jennifer wanted to be a teacher. When becoming a mother, she fell in

love with being a mommy and loved young ages. Karisa Talamantez, her cousin, was in the

preschool field and continuously told Jennifer how much she loved doing what she did. Karisa

encouraged Jennifer to get her degree and to start teaching in the classroom and eventually worked

her way up to being a director.

A preschool director can be a total game-changer for both the children and the community!

Jennifer is not just overseeing a school; she is cultivating a mini community hub. By fostering a Commented [AC2]: add a better analogy for pathos

top-notch educational environment, she is ensuring that these young minds get the best start
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possible. I asked Jennifer how she creates an inclusive environment for young children, and her

response was:

I am a very nurturing person. Being a director requires patience and a big heart. I hire staff

that are of the same mind and love to be around children. At my preschool, I am proud and blessed

to have a team of teachers that help provide an educational and nurturing environment for every

student that comes to our doors. (Coburn)

Jennifer is so important in the community and the lives of young children. She is like the

heart of the preschool, pumping energy and passion into everything she does. Her influence helps

the little ones build their confidence and discover their unique strengths. Jennifer believes,

“Helping children find strength and feel positive about themselves is something I provide daily. It

could be a child that does not feel like his painting was good, or if a child does not feel like they

can kick a soccer ball well. With positive words and reminding them that they can do and be

anything they want to do is something I encourage. Allowing them to try again or see the good

choices they made can make a significant impact on how they are feeling.” She creates a space

where children feel safe to try new things, make mistakes, and learn from them- like a safety net

as they take their first leaps. Commented [AC3]: more pathos/emotions

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Trinity Preschool in Bakersfield. The person closest to the left is

Jennifer Coburn, the preschool director. 31 January 2024.

The picture above, Jennifer is playing Red Light, Green Light with some of her students at

her preschool. All the children are running as fast as they can to get to her before she calls, “Red

Light!” All the smiles, participation and emotions show how much of a change she is currently

making in these children’s lives- even if they do not know it themselves. Helping the children

interact, learn, and avoid unproductive activities shows that the environment acts like another

teacher in the classroom.

Jennifer not only holds an impact on these children’s lives, but the families as well...

parents, guardians, friends... you name it. She strives to keep communication between herself and

each family who enrolls in her preschool. She sends pictures to families to allow them to see a

peak into what their child is going through, make calls, send emails, or text messages, post updates

about current events on social media and creates relationships with each student and family
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member, allowing families to feel comfortable sending their kids to her preschool. When asking Commented [AC4]: show audience of community change
within the WHOLE community, not just the children
Jennifer the importance of valuing the community, her response was:

I value all my students and their families. I have created endless bonds with families from

years ago. It is when my students and families continue to come by to say hi to me after they

graduate preschool, makes my job even more rewarding, knowing I made a substantial impact in

their world. A few examples of my impact are being asked to be a former student’s God mom.

Another family and my family are extremely close and have been in my own children’s lives. I

have former students who are in college now that reach out to me and want me to mentor them.

Every family that enrolls in my facility, I want the parents to feel confident in trusting me with

their child. I want each child to feel safe and confident while at preschool and feel loved. This is

not just preschool; I want families to think of it as their home away from home. (Coburn)

At the end of the year, Jennifer’s preschoolers graduate into kindergarten. She celebrates

that moment with a preschool graduation at the end of the school year. Some of the most

meaningful moments with her preschoolers are when they hug her and take their little diploma. At Commented [AC5]: pathos for audience

that moment in time, it is shown that Jennifer has helped plant a seed into their minds and hearts

of who they will become one day. Jennifer exclaims, “Every year those moments create memories

and encourages me to continue what I do!”

Jennifer's career choice has brought her a large amount of joy into her world. It reminds

her daily that she can make a difference in little ones’ lives that might not have that extra support

at home. She is constantly reminded that she is a tiny part of helping each child be our future

generation. She is constantly reminded to be kind, patient and loving each day.
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Little Ones. Heir Force Acadamy in Bakersfield. The little girl in the white dress is
me, Addison Coburn. 2 March 2009

Jennifer is not only teaching our future generation, but she has also taught our present. In

the picture above, I myself am an example showing the amount of work she has done that has paid

off. She has taught me from the day I was born up until now, helping me grow into the person I

am today and the goals I have achieved. Jennifer is not only a preschool director, but she is also Commented [AC6]: more pathos for emotional
connection between the subject, her change and the
my mother, who not only provides care for her own children, but for children all around our audience

community.

Works Cited:
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Coburn, Jennifer. Personal Interview about career. 11 October 1976

Telephone Interview with the author. 31 January 2024

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S Department of Labor, “Occupational Outlook Handbook, Preschool and

Childcare Center Directors,” 23 December 2023, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/preschool-and-

childcare-center-directors.htm#tab-2

Coburn, Jennifer. Little Ones. 2009, Bakersfield, California.

Coburn, Jennifer. Red Light, Green Light! 2024, Bakersfield California.

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Final Reflection: My initial thoughts about the project were pretty “set.” When the project was

announced, I knew exactly who I was going to pick- my mother. The amount of change she has

made in my life and the community is underestimating. As a result of doing this work, my thinking

and understanding of my subject was obvious as I have lived with the subject for all my life,

making the interview, analysis and writing into a reality. I am hoping my profile will show the

audience the importance of child developers and teachers all around and the benefits they provide

for our generations. For EO 1, one way this assignment sequence helped achieve this outcome is

by including descriptive details and examples of the change my subject has made to her students.

I could have asked for more examples from my subject to get true emotional and real experiences

and changes she has made to help me better achieve the outcome. For EO 3, one way this

assignment sequence helped achieve this outcome is by choosing an outline for this essay,

organizing the different scenarios and points I am getting across in the right manner. A way the

assignment sequence could be changed to help me better the outcome is by explaining more about

the writing processes that are expected from the writer. For EO 4, one way this assignment

sequence helped achieve this outcome is by finding the correct research given for my subject and

the purpose of her career. A way the assignment sequence could be changed to help me better the

outcome is by providing an example of “successful research,” to give the writer a better view of

what ‘successful’ means. Lastly for EO 5, one way this assignment sequence helped achieve this

outcome is by choosing the most effective organization that worked best for my subject and her
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purpose, and turning it into this paper, which helped a lot. A way the assignment sequence could

be changed to help me better the outcome is by going more depth into sound reasoning, as I am

not sure if I provided any in my writing. I would say that the strongest part of my final draft is

using descriptive details and expressions to give the audience a reality check of the purpose and

benefits of being a preschool director, while the weakest part would be finding more effective

research and providing it in the writing, which is what I personally would change.