Transcript
What inspires you from WFSU Public Media? Here's this week's Voices That Inspire. I'm Phyllis Califi, President and CEO of the Children's Forum here in Tallahassee. I have made a big decision to retire at the end of July this year. When I was a junior in college, and I was already the mother of two preschoolers at that time, I'd taken a break and then went back to school. One of my assignments was going to an early childhood classroom head start, and observing and then working with the children. And boy, something happened. That fire was lit in my belly when I started working with those children. I thought, oh my goodness, this is it. This is where you can make a difference. If we do it here, not wait till public school, we can truly change the lives of our kids. If we can just have that input and that impact and working with families and working with the children that stayed with me, I just said, okay, this is where I wanna focus my career. I started out as a teacher, and then I had an opportunity to become a leader, a director of a program. And so it was an entry point for me. So I think it is that way for millions of people across the world, you know, that it's a step in the direction because when you're passionate about working with and on behalf of young children, it's an opportunity to live it and grow with it. In terms of thinking what's next, I hope that at least what I have gained and learned as a part of this, this work, I mean, it's in there, the fires in my belly and it's not gone away. It's just how I'm going to use that fire, I think, to continue to promote the value and the importance of young children and the value and importance of early learning in their lives. My name is Phyllis Calafey, president and CEO of the Children's Forum. And just in closing, I would just add, be present, be passionate, and be prepared to make a difference in this world and it starts with each of us. You're listening to Voices That Inspire.