Graham named as Early Childhood Champion awardee

New River Community College Program Head and Professor of Human Services and Early Childhood Bonnie Graham was recently recognized by the Community Foundation for the New River Valley’s First Steps as a 2022 Early Childhood Champions awardee.

First Steps recognizes individuals and teams serving young children and families through the Early Childhood Champion Awards. Five award recipients are selected overall, including one early childhood champion of the year, one runner-up, and three honorees. Each awardee receives a cash prize made possible by the Community Foundation. Graham was this year’s runner-up.

“I am extremely honored to be nominated by a colleague and to receive an early childhood award from First Steps of the Community Foundation of the New River Valley,” said Graham.  “More importantly, it has been a special privilege to have taught and studied with six of the 2022 Early Childhood Champion nominees while serving as the program head and professor of human services and early childhood at New River Community College.”

“It seems the real story here—and a testament to Bonnie’s commitment and passion to early childhood in the NRV—is how well NRCC’s early childhood program was represented among the nominees and award winners,” said Dr. Sarah Tolbert-Hurysz, NRCC dean of arts and sciences. “Bonnie fully understands that high quality care in the early years benefits individuals their entire lives. She sees her work not only as preparing early childhood educators to provide this high-quality care but also as a way of investing in and building a strong, healthy community.  Her commitment to our students, children, and the community is unparalleled.”

NRCC’s early childhood education program was well represented among the nominees and award winners including honorees Chelsea Naughton Sharlow, a current NRCC early childhood student and director of Heart ‘n’ Hand Early Learning Center, and Judy Shelor, an NRCC early childhood graduate and center director of Valley Interfaith Child Care Center.

The following nominees are also NRCC early childhood education students and/or graduates: Lori Dobbins, office administrator at Radford Head Start; Alea Lacoste, lead teacher at the Virginia Tech Child Development Center for Learning & Research; Sheila Morrison, director of Imagination Station; and Stefi Schafer, early childhood teacher at Blue Mountain School.

“My professional journey has been a wonderful life to serve children, families, and communities by preparing their teachers,” said Graham. “I have been blessed to have jobs that I love coming to work, including Pulaski County High School Early Childhood, Virginia Tech Department of Human Development and Family Science, and New River Community College Human Services, Early Childhood, and Education.”

“The most overlooked issue today is the significant impact high quality early childhood teachers have on health, academic achievement, future earnings, economic development, and community capacity. We must invest in, support, and even insist that our youngest children have highly talented and credentialed teachers.”

For more information about NRCC’s early childhood development programs, visit https://www.nr.edu/ecd/.