"The magic of Mainspring is about creating the home we all deserve."
I moved from Florida to Austin in 2013 at the age of 23 to begin a master’s degree in social work. At the time, I had no intention of entering the teaching profession. But an internship with children who had experienced trauma, grief, and loss uncovered my passion for this field. Mainspring’s nonprofit mission to provide holistic support and trauma-responsive care met that passion, and I applied for an Assistant Teacher position in one of the preschool classrooms. I began my adventures in the fall of 2014, and what a long, strange trip it’s been.
After graduating with my MS in 2015, I earned my teaching certification. I then spent seven years as an assistant and then lead teacher before becoming the Assistant Director of Education. It has been a path paved with laughter, joy, sweat, tears, and buckets of Cheerios crumbs. When I’m asked what’s kept me at Mainspring for so long, I say it’s the feeling of being in community.
My time at Mainspring has been a zig-zagged journey of healing, growth, and transformation. Nearly a decade ago, the Mainspring community welcomed me with open arms and embraced me wholly. Mainspring will forever remain nestled in my heart as a very special place: the first place I’ve felt a true sense of belonging and real feelings of acceptance. I discovered safety, security, and trust within the community of co-teachers, colleagues, and families. I had finally found a home.
Throughout my years here, I’ve learned that trauma isn’t just about what we experience; it’s also about what we don’t experience. Sometimes, it’s love, belonging, and connection – the most fundamental building blocks of a relationship. Sometimes that’s where the deepest hurt and the deepest healing occur. Working at Mainspring has been a mutual, symbiotic relationship. Showing up as the adult I needed when I was a young child has opened pathways to healing deep childhood wounds, and every interaction with a child is a powerful opportunity to ensure that each child is safe, seen, soothed, heard, valued, and respected. We may not always know the history and experiences of the children who walk through our doors, but every day is an opportunity to build secure attachments that will build the foundation for healthy relationships throughout their lives.
One of the most difficult aspects of working in early childhood is hearing that you make a difference every day but not being able to see it beyond graduation. Three years into teaching, I had an experience with a student that made me a firm believer in Mainspring's magic.
Jonas (*real name has been changed*) walked into the Mockingbird classroom during my third year of teaching. At this point, I had developed some proficiency in classroom management skills and was beginning to fully grasp the gravity and significance of trauma-informed teaching. At the age of three, Jonas had witnessed horrific violence and experienced terrible abuse at the hands of his biological family and, unfortunately, also during one of his foster care placements. His behavior in the classroom reflected how unsafe, stressed, and chaotic his life felt. My classroom became his oasis for him of dependable, unconditional, positive regard and love. In the moments Jonas was at his worst, we showed up the most. It was his home. Jonas graduated in 2018 and went on to a public pre-K program.
A year later, the Family Services Director and I were invited to court for Jonas’s adoption hearing, the culmination of a turbulent three-year tug of war over his permanent placement. As I sat in the back row of the gallery, anxiously waiting for the court officer to open the doors, I saw Jonas. He was sandwiched between his older brother, whom I had also taught, and his foster mother. Surrounded by friends and family, Jonas kept turning around to look at us. It was the look of distant recognition: I know this person but from where? Once the adoption hearing concluded, we were able to say hello. At first, he didn’t remember my name. But then the memories returned and he said, “There’s a wetness in my eyes.” As I patted his leg, I told him “You are allowed to cry and you are allowed to feel sadness.” Tears poured down his cheeks. We talked for a few minutes and he began to remember other names, starting with his classmates and friends in the Mockingbirds room. Then it was time to leave. As the elevator doors slid closed, Jonas waved and said “I love you always.”
That moment showed me the true impact of inclusive, affirming, trauma-informed education and support. The magic of Mainspring is about building safe, healthy relationships and creating the home we all deserve.
I hope that you will help our home by making a donation to the End of Year Giving Campaign.
