Rochelle Pleasant has devoted decades to early childhood education, wearing many hats along the way. From her role as an adjunct faculty member at Virginia Peninsula Community College to serving as a passionate mentor and advocate, she has built an impressive career.
Pleasant has worked steadily since entering the field with diverse experience that includes everything from childcare assistant and center director to writing grants and conducting training here and abroad.
She has no plans to slow down, having assumed an additional role at VPCC. As a coach for the Davenport Institute, a grant program to strengthen the talent pipeline in early childhood education, she supports students through workshops and other efforts. The program offers resources, funding and more to help eligible students enroll and succeed in the College’s Early Childhood Education program.
A VPCC graduate, she delights in being an educator and views it more as joy than work.
“When I started working in this field, I felt like I didn’t have to get paid because I really enjoy it. I enjoy coming to work. I enjoy working with children. I have enjoyed all my jobs in different ways,” said Pleasant.
“I grew up in Newark, N.J. My parents’ house had a wraparound porch, and I can remember playing school out there. Of course, I was always the teacher. I remember saying that I wanted to be a teacher even when I was a child,” she added, saying helping others become childcare professionals and early childhood educators is icing on the cake, especially working at VPCC.
She recalled career highlights beginning at a few childcare centers in teaching assistant positions. A program coordinator position at NASA Langley Research Center’s child development center followed, setting Pleasant up for a director’s role at a childcare center in Hampton. A mentor at NASA convinced her she was qualified for the leadership role and encouraged her to apply. The job positioned her for many great but unanticipated opportunities.
While Pleasant’s work at VPCC remains central to her professional life, her career has taken her overseas to Azerbaijan and Kenya, where she helped train childhood education professionals. Shaping her perspective on the global impact of early childhood education, these experiences came about through her consulting work with a non-profit agency based in Norge, Va. called Child Development Resources.
One of her most memorable experiences happened around 2008 in Azerbaijan. She and her U.S. colleague specialized in training educators to work with children with special needs students.
“The first time I went, I was there maybe 15 days. And the next year, we stayed about 12 days,” she said. “Another thing was, we worked with the Ministry of Education (the country's educational system) to learn the teachers’ and students’ needs. And we helped them determine which programs we’d work with.”
“The teachers were phenomenal. They were eager to learn, even though they didn’t have a lot of resources. It was humbling and inspiring," she added.
Similarly, in Kenya, Pleasant and her U.S. colleague trained local teachers in early childhood education. She said despite limited resources, the educators and students were deeply committed to learning.
"The teachers there were so creative, dedicated and eager. They would say, ‘If you want to teach us 12 hours or 15 hours, we will stay,’" she recounted. "And the children, when you asked them what they wanted, their biggest request was a school uniform (an expense many couldn’t afford). That really stayed with me. It reminded me how lucky we are, and how much we take for granted.
“Both groups in those countries were just amazing. I felt honored to be able to go there and help. I learned from them to really appreciate what I have,” she noted.
These international experiences broadened Pleasant’s understanding of early childhood education and reinforced her enthusiasm for the field.
Throughout her career of caring for young children, she prioritized professional development. She turned to VPCC in the 1980s and early 1990s, taking early childhood education courses on a mentor’s advice.
Pleasant worked during the day and spent evenings in class at the Hampton Campus.
“I wasn't even thinking about getting a degree at first,” said shared. “I just took (classes) because I enjoyed it. I wanted to learn more, to stay current on trends in the field and I just kept taking classes over the years. I just wanted to be a better early childhood professional.”
“It also helped me to have a love for learning. But then I realized, ‘Wow, I have enough credits to graduate!’ That moment really changed everything for me,” added Pleasant, who earned an associate of applied science degree.
That academic success led her back to Norfolk State University. She’d attended NSU briefly when she came to Hampton Roads after graduating from Newark’s Weequahic High School. The second time around, she earned a bachelor’s degree in special education from NSU and later a master’s degree in education from Concordia University, St. Paul.
The fond memories of getting where she is today make her proud. Another career highlight is her 12-year stint with the Virginia Infant Toddler Specialist Network which sharpened her mentoring and coaching skills. Through its regional offices, the statewide system offers training, coaching and mentoring for teachers who work with infants and toddlers.
Pleasant’s work as an adjunct instructor and Davenport coach at VPCC impacts students and the community. She teaches courses that span the entire Early Childhood Education curriculum.
“I’ve been connected to the College since the 2000s and I’ve taught almost every course in the Early Childhood Education program,” she said.
Her varied career experiences allow her to connect theory with real-world practice.
“My goal as a mentor is to help my students see what quality looks like in early childhood education,” Pleasant explained. “Some of them have never worked in a childcare center before, so I share my experiences – the challenges and the rewards –
to give them a clearer picture of what it means to be an early childhood educator.”
Pleasant's teaching style also includes empathy and a firm belief that every student has something valuable to contribute.
“I always tell my students, 'I’ve been where you are now. And, if I can do it, so can you,’” she said.
While she believes teaching is about imparting knowledge, Pleasant thinks it also involves inspiring students to find their path.
“The greatest achievement for me is not just the degrees or accolades, but the impact I’ve had on my students and colleagues,” she said. “When former students come back and tell me, 'You were the one who made me believe I could do it,' that’s the real reward.”
“Many students still keep in touch with me, and they tell me I made a difference in their lives," she said. “That’s what keeps me going.”
Elevating the status of early childhood educators, who she believes are underappreciated and misunderstood, is also her focus.
“I don’t like the word ‘babysitter’ when people refer to early childhood educators. We are professionals, and we have an important job. It's crucial that we maintain high standards and continue advocating for quality education in every setting because the work we do impacts future generations,” she said, adding the work isn’t easy, but it’s worth it.
Pleasant, who lives in Hampton with her husband, William, spends her free time reading and gardening. She also loves the beach and is content knowing she made the right choice in early childhood education as her life’s work.