As a little girl growing up in Argentina, Adriana Keilman told her parents that she wanted to become a teacher. “I love children with all my heart,” she says.
Her father encouraged her to pursue something business oriented, so she studied hotel management.
While doing an internship at an upscale hotel, she met an American man who later became her husband.
Adriana left her country to travel the world with him and set aside her dream of teaching for the time being.
10 Countries in 10 Years
Adriana lived all around the world for a decade—from Dubai to Singapore, from Sweden to Honduras. She had a son along the way, and eventually wanted to plant roots somewhere.
The family moved to the United States by way of Colorado, where their son started elementary school. After a brief move to Argentina, they returned to Colorado in 2010. Adriana has been here ever since.
A Job in Colorado
A few years later, Adriana’s son was in middle school, and she wanted to work. She looked up nearby schools in her area and walked into the administrative building of Jeffco Public Schools on a whim.
“The person I spoke to was like an angel for me,” Adriana recalls. “When I told her that I wanted to become a teacher, she said I was in the right place.”
That woman happened to be the daughter of the preschool director at Foster Dual Language PK-8 in Arvada, which offers a full-day preschool program where students speak Spanish for 90% of the day. Adriana’s English skills were still progressing, but she was able to communicate one thing clearly: She adored children and wanted an opportunity.
Becoming a Teacher
Adriana learned that if she was willing to take two early childhood education courses, there was a place for her as an assistant teacher at Foster. She joined the school in 2013 and enrolled at Red Rocks Community College—where she had also been taking English-as-a second language courses.
In 2016, Adriana became a dual lead teacher. “We have an amazing community,” she says. “The mothers I talk to every day remind me of myself when I was first in this country, and the kids are all learning English. I feel so lucky to work there.”
Getting on Track at FRCCt
Once she was a lead teacher, Adriana was encouraged to further her education, and a coworker recommended Front Range Community College. She’d taken classes at other colleges around the Denver metro area but found it difficult to get clarity on the requirements to complete a degree.
The FRCC Early Childhood Education team helped her get on the right track. Taking most classes online, Adriana earned several certificates:
Formulating a Plan
“Front Range has been a great experience for me. The wonderful people there helped me figure out my college education plan,” she says.
“That’s given me the strength to keep working toward the next step.”
She will earn the early childhood education for paraprofessionals certificate in spring 2025 and the Associate of Science in early childhood education that summer.
Next Up: A Bachelor’s Degree
Adriana recently learned that she would need to pursue a bachelor’s degree to continue teaching in Jeffco Schools—a qualification beyond what Colorado requires of preschool teachers today.
When she finishes the AA in Early Childhood Education, she’ll transfer to a four-year college or university in Colorado and earn her teacher’s license.
Preschool Teachers in Demand
With the new Colorado Universal Preschool Program allowing all children to receive up to 15 hours of free preschool (or more for qualifying families) the year before kindergarten, demand for early childhood educators is high. In fact, early childhood education is one of the state’s greatest shortage areas. Colorado is actively recruiting new teachers to the industry with various pathways for career switchers, current paraprofessionals and others.
FRCC offers two degrees and four certificates in early childhood education, all of which are offered 100% online (with a few courses to be offered in person in spring 2025). For those whose first language is not English like Adriana, the early childhood education certificate will also be offered fully in Spanish starting in spring 2025.
There are a couple of options to make the early childhood education degree less expensive and time consuming too. Students with preschool work experience might be able to receive college credit for what they know by taking a prior learning assessment or challenge exam or developing a portfolio. The Child Development Associate credential can fulfill a student’s Introduction to Early Childhood Education (ECE 1011) course credit too.
A Dream-Come-True Career
After 11 years of teaching, going back to school wasn’t in Adriana’s plans, but she’s taking advantage of the opportunity to grow and learn.
Teaching isn’t like work for her—she says her school is one of her happiest places to be. “I love my job, and I realize there are not too many people who can say that sincerely,” says Adriana.
“When I walk in the door every day and the kids call my name, it’s the best feeling in the world.”
