Here at Hall, we are so proud of our amazing team! They work together every day to carry out our mission and serve our neighbors. To celebrate them, we’re starting a Leadership Profile series here in our monthly newsletter and on the Hall Neighborhood House blog so you can meet them and learn more about how they got involved with Hall.
Felicia Anthony, Hall Neighborhood House Classroom Coordinator
Felicia Anthony knows Hall Neighborhood House inside and out. Currently a Classroom Coordinator, Ms. Felicia has been working in our childcare program since 1998.
She started as a teaching assistant while working toward her teaching degree. Then, she began teaching in her own classroom. This year, she started her new role as Classroom Coordinator, working with our Early Learning Director, Hector Burgos, to support all of the classrooms at Hall Neighborhood House—assisting with everything from lesson plan creation to classroom coverage.
Even in her new role, she loves being able to return to the classroom often. “At the end of the day, I still consider myself a teacher,” she shared. “I go to the classroom every day, to make sure that the children and teachers know that I’m still there for them.”
Working in early childhood education is a calling Ms. Felicia discovered at Hall Neighborhood House when her cousin, who worked with us, suggested she apply. On her first day, as she was feeding a pair of twin girls (who she remembers as some of her favorites, even after all these years) … they threw up on her! “Most people wouldn’t have come back,” she said, “but I loved those little girls.” She went home to change her clothes and didn’t miss a beat after that.
“I love what I do. I would never trade it for the world,” she said.
Ms. Felicia emphasizes passion and patience as the key elements of her job serving kids and families here in Bridgeport. “You have to have a big commitment working with kids,” she said. “It’s important to me that the kids always know that Ms. Felicia is always here for them, no matter what they’re going through.”
Ms. Felicia also stresses the importance of building relationships with parents and caregivers, in addition to the relationships she has with her students. “My door is always open for parents,” she stated. “I have a heart for parents, especially single moms because I was a single mother—so I can relate to them. If they’re going through something, I know what they’re going through.”
Many things have changed during Felicia’s time at Hall, but one thing that hasn’t is that “Hall really is community.” Community and diversity are the two words that immediately come to mind when asked about Hall Neighborhood House. She loves working at a place that serves everyone on the East Side, of all different backgrounds and nationalities. And we are so proud that families have the warm, welcoming presence of Ms. Felicia—and the whole early childhood team—as part of their time at Hall.
When she’s not at work, Ms. Felicia sings in her church choir and spends time with her mom, daughters, and grandkids. “I love to sing,” she shared.
And, if you’re visiting Bridgeport, Ms. Felicia says don’t miss Beardsley Park. It has green spaces and a zoo that Hall Neighborhood House youth still visit today!