I was a low-income student who attended Head Start. I’m now an educator with a master’s degree and owe all my success to the federal program.

Growing up in rural Michigan offered me so many meaningful experiences, but my childhood was also intertwined with poverty.

As a child, I attended Head Start, a federally funded program for low-income families. Since it began as an eight-week project in 1965, Head Start has served more than 30 million children.

In April, five of the Office of Head Start regional offices — in Boston, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle — were shuttered as part of the cuts to the US Department of Health and Human Services. As someone who attended Head Start, the early-childhood learning experience brought structure to my life for the first time and allowed me to learn and play in a safe and clean environment.

I’m now an educator with a policy background, nearly a decade of experience on education and general welfare issues, and my master’s degree. I believe my participation in Head Start helped make these opportunities possible for me.

Head Start taught me valuable skills at a young age

I still have some visceral memories from my time at Head Start. I remember having a symbol assigned to my nametag, which makes sense since most of us, children ages 3 to 5, were too young to know how to read. My older brother was the wagon, so I wanted to be that, too.

There were lots of toys. I vividly remember the sand table. By playing, we built motor skills, practiced communication, and gained knowledge with every action.

The classroom offered me a fun place to play, learn, and grow.

Though I had older siblings, Head Start allowed me to play with my peers and socialize in a supportive environment. By meeting new friends and learning how to interact with people outside my family, I gained new skills and experiences, which I needed before heading to kindergarten.

The program set me up for success

My early years prepared me for the rest of my life. Today, I have a deep love for education. I work as an educator. I’ve taught in higher education, early childhood education, and K-12. I also worked as a Legislative Director for the New York City Council on policy issues related to education and poverty.

Though I was born into poverty, I’ve been able to move into a middle-class life through educational opportunities. I’m forever grateful for my experiences at Head Start.

My concern is that children today won’t have access to the same opportunities that I had, which makes escaping poverty even harder.

Every child deserves free, safe, and supportive opportunities to learn. The building blocks of learning helped me become the person, writer, and educator I am today.

Children, especially poor kids like me, deserve the opportunity to bloom.