“ I began my career in teaching because I love working with young children and believe in the power of early learning,” she recalls.“ But life took me in a different direction, and I had stepped away from the classroom. Then my son was diagnosed with a visual impairment.”

Prekindergarten teacher The Early Learning Center at Memory Road Wake County Public School System Raleigh, North Carolina

“ This work is playful and dynamic. Every day is unique!”

Grace Luy was a former early childhood educator working in the Philippines when a very personal reason lured her back to the profession.

Her son.

Knowing the importance of early intervention and inclusive education, Grace began researching the supports that public schools in the United States offer to children with disabilities. She moved to the US ahead of her family in 2007 and began teaching prekindergarten in Wilson County, North Carolina. When her son arrived and enrolled in the local school system, he received an Individualized Education Program( IEP) and worked with an educational support team.

“ I came here as a parent, an advocate, and a lifelong learner,” Grace says.“ That transition made me a stronger educator.”

Today, Grace has a master’ s degree in education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with an emphasis in early childhood intervention and family services. She is a national board-certified teacher in early childhood and is trained in the preschool pyramid model, a framework for promoting young children’ s social and emotional development. She has worked for the Wake County Public School System since 2016; for the past three years, as a prekindergarten teacher at The Early Learning Center at Memory Road. Following are excerpts from a conversation about her professional path and the role NAEYC plays.

12 Educating Young Children

Spring 2026