HILLIARD, Ohio — You don’t always get a chance to return to preschool but one Hilliard graduate is returning to hers – for the entire year. Not as a student, but as the teacher.
"I'm really excited,” Emma Gill said. “I'm excited to meet my students and their families.”
Gill remembers the halls of the Hilliard preschool building. She learned life’s first lessons at the same place in 2003.
When she thinks back to those days, there’s someone who stands out.
“One of my memories from being here was I had a really good friend. His name was Martin, and he had cerebral palsy. I just remember being really good friends with Martin, playing with him and just talking to him, telling him that he was such a good friend. You could see Martin's strengths and see that friendships can look different,” Gill said.
She never forgot Martin over the years as her studies brought her to Otterbein University where she studied special education.
And now, with new experiences and that same love, she’s back to where she started – with a mission to promote acceptance, inclusivity and learning.
“It was a great opportunity for me to come back and get to pour into kids like I was poured into here,” Gill said.
Gill’s hiring comes at a critical time. The United States is working through a teacher shortage.
The U.S. Department of Education came out with a recent survey that showed all states except New Hampshire and new Mexico are expecting shortages in this specific field.