The best part of Kristina Robinson ’17’s job is the young children she works with each day.

“The smiles on the children’s faces when they accomplish something they thought they couldn’t do is why I work in this field.”

As a teacher assistant at Educare of Central Maine for KVCAP, Kristina works with children ages birth to 3 years old and their families.

“My job is to connect with parents, form strong relationships with parents and children, create a safe environment for the children to feel comfortable in – also to make that space interactive in a way that opens a child’s mind to endless possibilities, and help support the children as they learn to become independent,” said Kristina.

Kristina first got her start in this field while studying Early Childhood Management at Thomas College. This program brings education and management together.

“My undergrad helped prepare me for this job by teaching me what to expect in the classroom and how to handle some situations before stepping into the classroom,” she said. “The program also helped me by placing me in a classroom early on to help me decide if this was the right fit for me or not.”

Kristina’s time at Thomas also helped her find the right job at Educare.

“Without Thomas, I would not have gotten my foot in the door and made my way from being a practicum student to a substitute aid to a teacher assistant,” she said.

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A few months after Kristina graduated from Thomas College with her bachelor’s degree, she decided to return for her Master’s in Education degree. She says it will help move her to a higher position within her current employer. She decided on Thomas because she loved the small class size and personable professors.

“The master’s program has been exciting and fulfilling with new topics and discussions that I haven’t really thought about until now,” she said. “I like that the class sizes are small and that a lot of the work is reflection and discussion, which is a huge part of my job.”

Overall, Thomas College had a huge impact on Kristina over the years – and continues to with the Master’s in Education degree program.

“Thomas helped me grow by reaching goals that I never thought were possible for me by having the professors support me and encourage me every step of the way,” she said.