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“My mother had 10 children, so I had a large family and I always loved kids,” said Mecklenburg early childhood teacher Laverne Beazer. “It was always a passion for me. As I got older, I tried different jobs and none of them satisfied me. So, in 1998, I came upon a center called All My Children and I just loved the name, so I applied! Two years after I started, my director encouraged me to continue my education. I was reluctant but she believed in me.”
With the support of her director, Laverne started her Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education, but tragedy caused it to be a difficult journey. “During the course of going to school, I had to stop due to deaths in the family. I was grieving, but I said, ‘I’m not giving up, I’ve got to keep going.’ But then I had to stop again with the illness of my mother. I wasn’t comfortable leaving her alone. She knew that education was important to me, though I said, ‘Mom, I promise I’m going to graduate. I will finish.’ I promised her and myself. After she passed away, I continued to pursue my degree until I graduated December 2025. It has been hard. I basically lost all my family. I have only one sister left. But I refused to give up. I graduated at the age of 64. I’m so happy. When I walked across that stage with people old enough to be my children, I held my head up high. It was an amazing feeling. My grandchildren hugged me and said they were so proud of me. I got married in 2022, and my husband was so supportive while I was in school. He made sure nothing got in the way of my studying.”
In addition to her family tragedies, her journey was also made more difficult by financial strain. Laverne explained, “I wasn’t making a decent hourly rate at my previous job, and I worked there for 22 years. The state had to step in to encourage an increase to $14 per hour for lead teachers. I stayed out of love and loyalty, but I don’t know how I did it, especially taking care of my mother and my family. I’ve been with my current employer since 2022, but I just had to make the move. I love it here. I finished my degree at my new school with a TEACH Early Childhood® scholarship. It was very helpful, just not having to worry about paying for the classes and trying to maintain things with my home. TEACH helped me be able to focus on learning. I didn’t have to worry financially about getting the books or picking between paying for classes or a bill.”
WAGE$ also helped her address the financial challenges. “The money that I was receiving from WAGE$ was by the grace of God. It would always fall after my prayers. Money would drop right when I needed it. When you are going through things and you don’t know which way to turn, programs like WAGE$ give you a sense of relief. You don’t know where your next meal is going to come from or if you are going to be able to make a payment. With WAGE$, you don’t have to worry as much. You don’t have to worry about something as simple as a bill. When you don’t have it, it’s a big thing. I had children to take care of, and I was a single mom. These programs are very, very important. I pray that they are always around for people like me that need that extra money to make ends meet. To know that your family will be able to eat; to know you can walk in the house and turn your lights on. I thank WAGE$ and TEACH, and Central Piedmont Community College for all the support they gave me. All these things help you focus on your education. I could sit down and focus on my homework, not how I’m going to provide for my children. I said to a friend, ‘If I could hit the lottery, all these programs that have helped and supported me, it would be an honor to fund them so I could help people like I’ve been helped.’ I mean that from the bottom of my heart. It has been a blessing.”
“Getting my education changed me in that I have more confidence in what I’m doing and being able to apply everything I’ve learned,” Laverne said. “Things as simple as a lesson plan, being able to orchestrate different activities and understand that children are different and don’t learn the same. I know what to do for the children I’m working with. I feel so much better having the knowledge that allows me to have a successful classroom. I have had so many compliments on my classroom, and I don’t do it alone. I work with two amazing ladies, and we work so well as a team. We work as one. There is nothing like working with positive, loving women and the children feel it. Everything runs smoothly. You have to know what works. You have to know your children. I’m doing what I love to do.”
Despite all the losses in her life, Laverne says that she is good now. “It gets hard sometimes, but the love and the joy, the laughter, smiles and hugs that I get from the children make it all better. It makes me feel good, that I am doing something right. It makes you feel good when a child isn’t ready to go home. They are happy to be here. When I retire, I know I’ll be satisfied because I know I’ve made a difference. I’ve had children come back and thank me as adults and it’s an amazing feeling to know you’ve touched lives.”
