Sonequa Lowe
I've been working in early childhood education for over 10 years, and my passion for children started when I was very young. As the baby of my family, I always took care of my older siblings, and I spent my middle school and high school years nannying and babysitting. I originally wanted to be a pediatrician or veterinarian, but something kept bringing me back to teaching children because I get excited watching them grow from babies who can't walk or talk into confident young people who remember the lessons I taught them. Currently, I work as a lead pre-K teacher at a non-profit school downtown, where I work with children who have experienced homelessness, domestic abuse, and significant trauma. My role goes far beyond just teaching the basics because these kids need to build trust and confidence first. I try to create a safe place where both my students and their parents can come to me with questions or concerns, and I make myself an open book for them. I believe in instilling life lessons and giving children the tools and confidence that maybe nobody gave me when I was younger, because this world is crazy and our kids need that village of support that many of them don't have anymore. One of my greatest achievements was taking a risk and going to Hawaii for 6 months to work with military children at a Child Development Center. That experience was a complete eye-opener because I got to work with people from different ethnicities, religions, and cultures, and I learned so much about different traditions and family-oriented approaches to childcare. I paid for that opportunity myself, and even though the application process was strenuous and I almost gave up, I'm so glad I went because it taught me things I never would have learned staying home. Throughout my journey, I had a professor and mentor who took me under her wing during a very difficult time in my life when my mother was incarcerated. She helped mold me through college, taught me how to do my resume, encouraged me to apply for the Hawaii internship, and believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. She was like a mother figure to me and made sure I graduated with my degree. Sadly, she passed away, and we had fallen out of touch, but her impact on my life was immeasurable. I hold a bachelor's degree in Family Consumer Sciences with a concentration in Infant and Child Development, and I continuously pursue additional training and certifications in areas like social-emotional skills, working with children who have developmental delays or autism, and behavioral interventions. I also take online classes through Georgia State to learn how to create better environments for kids and counsel children who have gone through traumatic experiences. Beyond my work, I'm passionate about giving back through organizations like United Way, which helped someone close to me after they lost everything in a house fire, and I regularly donate blood to Life South and the American Red Cross because I know how critical those resources are during disasters.
• Bachelor's degree in Family Consumer Sciences with concentration in Infant and Child Development
• Social and Emotional Understanding certification
• RBT (Registered Behavior Technician) certification
• Head Start training certification
• Bachelor's degree in Family Consumer Sciences with concentration in Infant and Child Development
• Honor Society member
• National Honor Society member
• Honor Society
• Family Consumer Science Club
• TRIO Program
• National Honor Society
• Southern Consumers Club
• United Way donor
• Life South blood donor
• American Red Cross blood donor
• HOSEA FEED THE HUNGRY
• MEALS ON WHEELS
What do you attribute your success to?
My success is commonly attributed to a combination of adaptability, continuous learning, and resilience, allowing myself to navigate challenges and evolve in different environments. Key drivers of my success also include having passion, a positive mindset, and strong communication skills, which together foster motivation and effective collaboration in my career.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice i've received centers on being proactive, building strong relationships, and maintaining a growth mindset. Key advice includes focusing on solutions rather than problems, building a personal brand, and embracing discomfort to grow. The most highly advice I focused on was being easy to work with, continuous learning, and not settling for unfulfilling roles
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell her she has to have a strong mindset and good work ethics, because even though we don't get paid a lot of money to do this, you have to have a heart of gold. It can get very discouraging at times, but to see that you make a difference in little kids' minds and the way they think about things and live their lives is what matters. Sometimes you never know that you make a significant impact on a child until they get older and come back to tell you how the little things, the routines, the schedules, the pushing, even the fussing because you want to see the best in them, really made a difference. If you're going to do something, do it with good intentions and never go in doing something just because of the money. The money is a plus, but it's not really a plus if you don't like to do something, because you can get all the money in the world and dislike your job. I don't get paid a lot, but I like to go in and be around those kids. When you're going into this field, have an open mindset and an open heart. You're going to go through things, not even just with the kids but with parents as well. You don't know what these kids or parents are going through outside of school, and you don't know if this is their safe haven, so you have to make this environment safe and as encouraging as you can. This field comes with its pros and cons, and it comes with a lot of cons because you're dealing with young mothers, young fathers, single moms, domestic abuse, everything all in one. Just go in with an open heart and open mind. Do not judge people by where they come from, because you don't know where people come from. Some people don't understand things, some people don't have the resources, some people just don't have a lot of information about things, so you just have to be that resource for them with things that you know. Be that person's open ear and be as open as you can. This is not a field to play with, because you're building young little minds.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Some of the biggest challenges I face in the teaching field today include burnout, classroom management, student disengagement, diverse learning needs, policy ambiguity around AI, grading workload, and the pressure to integrate technology without losing control of the classroom
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Core values that are most important for navigating work and personal life typically include integrity, authenticity, creativity, and growth. These principles guide decision-making, ensuring actions align with personal purpose, while fostering trust and innovation in both professional and personal relationships
Locations
ATLANTA CHILDREN SHELTER
Atlanta, GA