1. + Introduction Kaitlyn Nerpouni EDU 671 Fundamentals of Educational Research Newton Miller July 21, 2015

2. + The Basics  My name is Kaitlyn, but feel free to call me Kait if you would like.  I am 26 years old but I will be celebrating my birthday within the next few weeks! I am a Leo!  I currently live in Billerica, Massachusetts and I moved here when I was 3 years old from Cambridge, Massachusetts. During the awkward years, 18-22-ish I hopped around to a variety of places living with friends but now I am back in Billerica. I guess the saying falls true, “there’s no place like home.”  I am a vegetarian.  I love cheese, chocolate, tattoos & beer!

3. + My Passion is WORK I am currently employed at Bright Horizons Family Solutions, a provider of high quality early childhood education. I hold a Director II certification from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. I started in September of 2010 as an Infant Teacher but have worked my way up to my current position as an Assistant Director. I believe in providing early education and promoting parent involvement in the early years as it is key to students’ success later in life. I believe in equal education for all, and just recently I have gained an interest in attachment and social development as an early foundation for learning. We will see what the future hold for me!

4. + Why a Master’s Degree? Masters of Education with a Specialization in Child Development I went to Billerica Public Schools from grades 1-12. I attended Westfield State University right out of high school. I had a little set back when my father passed away from cancer, and returned home from school. From there, I went part time to earn my associates and to obtain the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care teaching certifications at Middlesex Community College. After realizing how important education would be to my success, I enrolled full time, while working full time to complete a Liberal Studies degree at Framingham State University. When I was in high school education was the only thing standing in the way of a good life, or welfare… well according to my dad anyway. Over the four years of high school my dad explained the importance of education, in his own words, “If you don’t go to college, you will live with the cockroaches.” Despite the challenge I faced to enjoy school after he passed away, down the road I knew it was the right thing. Figuring out if his statement would be true or not pertaining to my life was not a risk I was willing to take. It gave me the courage and will power to ultimately finish school and be where I am today… working towards a master’s degree! I want to hold a Master’s degree mostly for personal satisfaction, but I know within the competitive workforce that higher education will always give me the upper hand. I am also hoping it will make me a more valuable resource for the teachers and staff members that I currently supervise. I plan on continuing to grow within my company and my short term goal is to be the director of a BH childcare center by the time I am 30 years old. After that, I would like to work within the training and development department at our corporate headquarters in Watertown, Massachusetts, state licensing programs, NAEYC, or the Massachusetts Department of Education.

5. + Past Teachers… My 5 th grade teacher, Mrs. Diorio, was my FAVORITE teacher. I think it was because it was a “stressful” point in my life. My mother was admitted to the hospital for open heart surgery during that year, and she was there for support. This is one of the times where you think of that quote, “People may not remember what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” I can’t pin point any particular event, but I went back every single year to visit her on my own, and shadowed her when I was a part of the Future Teachers of America club in high school and even invited her to my graduation. My least favorite teacher is my 7th grade English teacher. She told me if I was not a speller by now, I would never be a speller. Either she was right or I just gave up… To this day, I am a horrible speller (or I rely on spell check too much).