From Museum Tours to Preschool Classrooms: Rose Reavey-Gilbert Earns Her CDA
When I worked at museums, I always loved giving tours to school groups, and at a certain point I just began to wish that was my whole job.
That realization led Rose Reavey-Gilbert, CAS/BA '25 Baker/CDA '26, to narrow her focus to early childhood education — and eventually to the Child Development Associate (CDA)® program at the Baker School of Education at American University. As an AU undergraduate alumna BA ’25, the choice of where to pursue her credential felt natural. “I trusted their professors and admin, so I was willing to financially invest a bit more into my CDA if I knew I was getting access to quality classes and support.”
That investment paid off. Among the most impactful lessons Rose took from the program were those centered on bias and inequity in teaching. “Learning how to create a more antiracist classroom environment is incredibly valuable,” she said. The program also pushed her to rethink how she communicates with families—something she had previously found intimidating. “I often assumed that parents would come to me if they had concerns,” she explained. After completing the program and absorbing its emphasis on family engagement, she began making a more deliberate effort to keep parents involved.
“The effort has been met with incredibly positive results, which is wonderful.” Today, Rose works as an assistant teacher at a small preschool housed in a church, where mornings are filled with free choice time, music, art, and age-appropriate social emotional learning. It is, she says without hesitation, the most fun job she has ever had.
People often make it sound miserable, but even on hard days it is still the most fun job I have ever had.
Earning her CDA has deepened the work she does there, giving her a stronger foundation in cognitive development that she draws on daily. “I now explain more complex ideas and processes to the children including things that adults tend to find uncomfortable, like difference and discrimination.”
Completing the program while working two jobs was no small feat. “Working two jobs then doing classwork is very draining,” she admitted, adding that dedicating one full weekend day to studying, rather than squeezing work in after long shifts, made a significant difference. Her advice to anyone considering the program is straightforward: commit to a schedule, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Looking ahead, Rose hopes to move into a lead teacher role and eventually pursue a master’s degree in education. For now, though, she finds deep meaning in the credential she has already earned. “It means that I am serving the children in my care as they deserve to be served,” she said. “I believe that educators do important work and should be trained and educated accordingly.”