Marcy: A Love of Learning

Most young children, when asked what they want to be when they grow up, have lofty aspirations, like astronauts, athletes, and superheroes. Marcy always knew she wanted to be a teacher. “I used to play pretend teacher at home,” she admitted.

Marcy first started as a teacher’s aide at Fort Hamilton Child & Family Center in Brooklyn. She had a passion for creating early childhood curricula for students with special needs and was eager to expand her knowledge. She considered returning to school for her master’s degree to further her career.

“I love Grand Street’s supportive environment,” Marcy said. “My supervisors helped connect me with an advisor at Bank Street College of Education.”

Grand Street has a robust scholarship fund for staff pursuing their Master’s in education at Bank Street that covers the majority of the tuition. 

We provide comprehensive employee benefits to help staff succeed personally and professionally. It’s one of the reasons we were named one of City and State’s 2025 and 2026 Top Workplaces in New York.  

After Marcy received her master’s, she was promoted to a lead Head Start teacher position at our new Sunset Park West Child & Family Center. One of the most fulfilling parts of the job for Marcy has been connecting with the community and getting to know the families in the neighborhood.

“It’s wonderful to see how many people in the community we’re serving. It’s really special.” 

Marcy is potentially interested in going back to school and getting her PhD, with a focus on accessibility for early education. Grand Street supported Marcy’s in accomplishing her childhood dream of becoming the teacher she was meant to be.