We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Zurisaday Decker a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Zurisaday, appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

From a young age, I knew I was put on this earth to accomplish the unimaginable. I knew my God had placed me on this earth to advocate for exceptional learners shortly after my nephew was born with Down Syndrome and was diagnosed Hard of Hearing. At that time, the path set for me involved going to work in the family business, getting married, and having children. My goal and purpose was to pursue a career in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education. I enrolled in my local community college and dropped out a year later.

This is where my risk seed was planted. I was sitting in my English class listening to my professor condemn the military men who were serving our country and he continued to share his views on the worthless war, which in the Summer of 2008 many men and women had already lost their lives defending our right to have these thoughts. I felt conflicted and in turmoil because my brother was in the Army and I had friends fighting this worthless war in the Marine Corps. I remember driving home and when I arrived, I was standing in front of my local Armed Forces Recruiting Office. I never made it home, or so I thought. I remember speaking to my brother and his recommendation was to join the Marines. I walked into my recruiting office and signed my contract on June 26th, 2008, my father’s birthday.

My risk was leaving the comfort of my home and moving wherever the United States Marine Corps deemed necessary. My risk involved leaving my cultural norms and adjusting to a new way of thinking and living. To abandon the traditional views and ordinary life that awaited me in my little beach town. To step out of all my cultural traditions and have the audacity to long for something more than to be a wife and mother. I am not shaming anyone whose life followed these steps, I am now a proud mother of two young children and a wife of 12 years to an incredible man. However, at that time, as a young 19 year old my way of thinking was one to change the world. I longed to make a difference and I have found a career where I get to do that daily.

My risk opened windows of opportunity. My risk alienated me from the comforts I knew and helped me earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in my field of study. Both degrees were paid for by my sacrifice to my country and my passion for advocating for exceptional learners. My excellence in academia allowed me to study under some of the greatest early childhood advocates and develop lasting friendships. My risk helped me gain the life experience needed to withstand the trials we will face in public school settings. Now, as a private Developmental Therapist, I feel most equipt and confident to get the job done and adapt with every turn.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Becoming an early childhood advocate and teacher is a dream I have had since I was 5 years old. I grew up in my church community and became the church’s preschool teacher at the age of 15. During this period my brother and my nephew’s mother were expecting a child with Down Syndrome. Having an early interventionist come into our home and provide tailored plans designed to meet His developmental needs inspired me to go into Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education in 2007. In late 2008, I felt the calling to serve my country and I joined the United States Marine Corps. While deployed I was reminded of my true passion and calling, to advocate for exceptional learners. I continued my educational career with Eastern Kentucky University in 2014, and for the last nine years I have worked in various educational settings including in both private and public preschools, as a preschool special education teacher, and held a partnership with the University of Kentucky and Fayette County Public Schools. I hold a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky and a master’s degree in Education with a focus on Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education.

My Mission
I envision providing a culturally diverse, developmentally appropriate, wholesome, therapeutic, and educational environment for families. I tailor our sessions to meet individual needs and encompass the whole child and their family. Where I can focus on individual children and meet them at their varying levels.

My Vision
My vision is to enhance the relationship between parents and their children. I believe doing so fosters healthy developmental growth that will help children lead us into a brighter future. As a clinician I immerse myself in continuing education and stay informed on the latest research and evidence-based practices. My vision is to focus on a holistic approach with each individual family. I collaborate with each family to accommodate and write comprehensive therapeutic plans to help facilitate each families unique needs. I imagine providing a holistic approach that examines the connection between our physical bodies, feelings, behaviors, environment, and social surroundings.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

It was a couple of months into my year teaching in the fall of 2022 that I realized my heart was heavy. By this time in my teaching career, I had students cut my hair, kick me in the stomach while I was pregnant, throw chairs or classroom items, stabbed with a variety of classroom tools, bitten, pinched, and scratched by my students. No amount of school prepares you for what teachers endure in the classroom, but I did feel better prepared to de-escalate situations and continue to push on because of my military experience.

In the fall of 2022 I had a student threaten to kill me. While I looked at her big green eyes I was overwhelmed with her cold ferocity. I felt my stomach turn and I struggled with a powerful threat response. My heart and mind wanted nothing else but to provide her with the nurture love and respect she deserved, and the Military Veteran part of me could not decide if she was truly a threat to my students and the other teachers in my classroom.

I took a leave of absence in the late fall of 2022 following this experience and in February of 2023, I resigned from my position as a Preschool Teacher in the public setting. I embarked in the private sector and now work as a contractor with Kentucky’s Early Intervention Systems (KEIS). I started my own agency and currently provide services to 13 children across the Bluegrass District in Kentucky.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Upon applying for the Teacher Education Program at the University of Kentucky, I was informed that I would have to pass an entrance examination composed of three sections, Math, English, and Writing. I quickly learned that this exam specifically the mathematics section for me and many other students would prove difficult and cause many to drop out of the program, change majors, or deter students from applying. While I was disappointed at not passing the Mathematic section on my first attempt, I was determined to enter the program and earn my degree.

Over the course of two years, I retook the Mathematics portion of the exam a total of nine times and passed on my last attempt. Prior to passing my exam, I had to meet with the Dean of the Academic Services and Teacher Certification and agree to pay back the entirety of my Fall 2019 tuition in addition to any late fees for dropping out of the programming due to test failure.

Although this might seem like a small accomplishment, my tenacity helped carry me those two years and I was able to keep my promise and push through and enter the TEP at the University of Kentucky.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.littlehandsbiglearning.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlehandsbiglearning_ky/

Image Credits
@YayaVPhotography @BlessedBeePhotography @GraduteImages