Fall 2011 - Wheelock College

Leader in the
Spotlight
INTERVIEW
Betty Bain Pearsall ’71
University Director of Child Care,
City University of New York
As university director of child care at the
City University of New York (CUNY),
Betty Bain Pearsall ’71 coordinates CU-
NY’s 19 child care centers and makes it
possible for young parents to pursue higher
education while knowing their children are
getting quality care and education.“Caring
for the whole child, supporting and mentoring
the parent, teaching advocacy—every
day I have an impact on hundreds of children
and families, applying and passing on
what I learned from Wheelock,” she says.
WC: How did you decide on a career in early
childhood education and care (ECEC), Betty?
BP: Early childhood education and care has
really always been a part of my life. My mother
went to Hunter College and Bank Street College
of Education and taught 4-year-olds, and
my godmother was director of a child care
center in New York City where my great-aunt
was also the cook and I substitute taught when
I was a Wheelock undergrad home on vacation.
Good quality education and care is a value my
family is committed to.
WC: And now you are at both ends of
the educational spectrum, coordinating
19 ECEC centers at the City University
of New York?
BP: Yes, at the City University campuses, we
provide care only for children whose parents
are students at the University. We do this because
our emphasis is on access to and success
in higher education. A Wheelock scholarship
provided me with access to the foundation
of my education, at a residential college, that
broadened my experience in the world. This is
similar to what I try to do at CUNY by providing
quality child care and early education.
For student parents, child care can be the
main obstacle barring the way to higher education
or to remaining in college once enrolled;
this is especially so for first-generation college
students. Having care available and knowing
their children are getting quality care and an
early childhood education allows parents to
focus on their studies and achieve that goal of
higher education.
We provide other educational benefits too
that build toward success for children and
parents. Right from the start, the children at
CUNY are in an environment where the goal
of higher education is the norm; learning and
growing in a community that cares about
education are natural parts of their early experience.
We also provide support and education
sessions for parents so they can learn more
about being strong advocates for their children
and how to work with other parents to demand
good child care and quality education later,
after they have graduated and are working and
their children are in school. We are helping
educate parents to be leaders in advocacy.
WC: You are also the president of the
National Coalition for Campus Children’s
Centers, a nonprofit organization dedi cated
to supporting early childhood education
in the college and university setting. How
did you prepare to be such a leader?
BP: I believe that experience builds on itself,
and you grow into positions of responsibility
and leadership. As I taught, I gained more
and more experience in the classroom, and I
pursued two master’s degrees and learned more
through higher education. Then I went the next
step and started an early care and childhood
program at Queens College, where I developed
more confidence and leadership and advocacy
skills, and then I went to York College, where
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they were constructing a building and starting
a child care program at the same time, so I
worked with staff through this process. I was
starting a program, advocating for funds, going
to construction meetings, wearing a jacket to
meet with the president, and then running
down to attend to fixing faucets or hula with
the children. I did it all and I learned from it all.
But I think preparation for leadership began
for me at Wheelock with faculty who challenged
me and mentored my development and my
sense of professionalism and commitment right
from the start. I continue that model of education
and mentoring of staff and parents in my
role directing CUNY’s child care centers now.
WC: You received a 2011 Making a Difference
Award from Wheelock at Reunion, and you
are a member of the Corporation. How do
you think Wheelock has changed since your
undergrad years and how is it the same?
BP: When I was at Wheelock, I was inspired
by the idealistic mission to make the world
a better place for children, but I was one of
few African-American students, and there
was a general lack of cultural awareness and
competency. It was a time when Wheelock
students couldn’t wear pants to class and had
responsibilities at each dorm, such as tea duty
or answering the door! But it was also a time
of great change: The civil rights movement was
strong; black students were speaking out and
formed a student union; and there were the
Vietnam War discussions and protests.
From what I see of today’s Wheelock, it has
that same idealistic mission that inspired me;
however, it is more diverse, and there is more
awareness of the importance of cultural competency.
And it’s wonderful to see the College
capitalizing on its outstanding faculty and taking
the lead in advocating for children in so many
new ways. When I reflect back, it is amazing to
me how much I was absorbing and learning,
even talking informally with faculty, and how
strong the faculty was and still is today.
WC: Do you have a message for today’s
Wheelock students?
BP: Take advantage of all that is offered to you
at Wheelock. You may not know the impact of
all the interactions you are having on campus,
all the classes; but take in the knowledge, all of
it. Decide on your dream and then follow it.
Wheelock has a lot to offer, and when you get
into the world, you will realize how important
your Wheelock experience is and will be for the
rest of your life. It will take you far.
Wheelock Magazine 23