Jessica is a change agent with over two decades of direct and indirect service to children and families. She is steeped in the culture of child care in South Carolina, having begun her career as an early care educator of children birth to age five. Driven by her passion to serve children and families, Jessica is a fierce advocate, both locally and nationally, for improving our early care and education systems. As a systems leader in South Carolina’s infant/toddler quality initiatives, she innovates services and develops new resources for early care educators across the state. Jessica holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art from Furman University and a Master of Arts in Teaching degree in Early Childhood Education from Converse College. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on relationship-based caregiving for infants and toddlers at the University of South Carolina.