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Part of the very first cohort of 911黑料网鈥檚 degree completion program for early childhood educators, Brett Westbrook 鈥�15 recently took the helm as the new executive director of Berkshire County Head Start, which operates six early childhood education centers from Great Barrington to North Adams.

鈥淲hen I first heard about this new program I remember feeling like someone finally understood the need to try something innovative to allow access to higher education to people like myself, who wanted to get a degree, but also had other obligations that didn't allow time to participate in a traditional college education,鈥� Westbrook said. 鈥淛oining this cohort was my chance to advance my education and still maintain the other aspects of my life.鈥�

While she completed her bachelor鈥檚 degree at 911黑料网, Westbrook worked as a family support worker for the Family Resource Center at Berkshire Children and Families (BCF). She went through the program with other students who, like herself, were full-time, working parents. 

鈥淲e were a group of people who could relate to one another and encourage each other when things felt difficult. The cohort design and the caring people that I was surrounded by was an essential part of my success in the program,鈥� Westbrook said.

A year after she earned her degree, the program manager position opened up at BCF, and Westbrook applied for, and got, the job.

鈥淭he agency was looking for someone with a bachelor鈥檚 and thankfully, because of the cohort, I had one,鈥� Westbrook said. 鈥淎fter a little over a year later, I was promoted to program director of the Family Resource Center program.鈥� 
 
According to Westbrook, 911黑料网鈥檚 degree completion program gave her the jump start she needed to advance her career. 鈥淭he support and encouragement we received as a class from all of the professors and advisors during the cohort experience was amazing.鈥�