A conversation with Trinese Barber, Placer County Cohort, Class of 2011:

What motivated you to enroll in the Child Development program?

I wanted to be a part of the high quality early childhood educators that are collaborating to address the achievement gap that many children are facing in today’s society. Preparing children for future success starts during early development, which is why I will continue to advocate for all children and their families during early development. Sac State provided me with the needed foundation in child development to complete my master’s degree in early childhood studies as well as the necessary framework to pursue an early childhood special education credential.

What would you describe as the most beneficial part of the program?

The evening class times and the relationships I built with my cohort were the greatest benefits of the program. The relationships I built were the beginning stages of setting up a valuable network of professionals that I continue to collaborate with to this day.

What were the greatest challenges of participating in the program?

My greatest challenge was balancing my life’s responsibilities as a wife, mother and student. However, the support I received from my classmates and faculty provided me with the needed encouragement to complete the program.

Where are you currently working? Have you applied the learning from the program in the current work you do?

I am currently a full-time student at San Francisco State University where I am pursuing a teaching credential in early childhood special education. As a student, I feel more than prepared to complete my credential due to my ability to apply the information I learned during my undergrad at Sac State.

If you were to share one piece of advice for prospective or current students, what would it be?

The one piece of advice I would give is to collaborate with other classmates as much as possible. Your classmates will be a huge support to keep pushing you to be the best early childhood educator you can be, as well as provide you with a wealth of knowledge that you can add to your “tool belt” when working in the field.