The owner of the region’s newest The Goddard School, Rebecca Chen, celebrated the opening of her new school in February with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
While she’s now celebrating, the school opened its doors back in December.
“We were scheduled to open in September 2019, but the building opening was delayed,” says Chen, “It’s been a bumpy road, but I’m excited about our opening. Finally, we made it. We’re here.”
Teaching is something she has always wanted to pursue after she immigrated to the U.S. from China.
“I had to work so many jobs to support going to school,” said Chen.
She began teaching in 2008 and then went on to work for the Goddard School for four years. She then accepted a teaching position at, where she worked with autistic children.
After 12 years of teaching, Chen came back to The Goddard School after she was attracted to Goddard’s curriculum and philosophy, one that is focused more on education and less like a traditional daycare center.
“I like how they manage the school and they have a good support system,” Chen said. “They are very professional.
Chen said she never thought about opening her own Goddard school until she worked there.
“I decided that I wanted to do something to pass the message to families how important early childhood education is,” said Chen, “In many areas, I don’t think they have quality child care. That ‘s why I wanted to open one of my own.”
Chen said she started thinking about opening her own school about 2012 when she began working in the public school system. Chen said her husband was very supportive of her dream to start her own school.
“We sat down and laid out a plan of what we could do,” she said.
Chen said their delayed opening led to mixed feelings of fear and excitement, and that led to some teachers who were initially hired in July to move on and accept other jobs.“Opening in December wasn’t the perfect time because of vacations and holidays. Not many families are looking for childcare in December,” said Chen.
Now open for business, Chen said she has received great feedback from families already on their school. Chen says her biggest challenge to date is enrolling more children. “We’re moving but slowly,” she said, “We just have to let people know we’re finally here.”
Chen said her vision for the school is to bring the highest quality child care to the Manassas community. In her words, it represents achieving the American dream.
“It means everything to me and it’s a great role model for my children,” Chen said. “It’s a great way to show them that it’s never too late. You’ve got to keep up your dream. One day you’ll achieve your dream. It shows society that no matter who you are or where you’re from, you can achieve your dream as long as you work hard.”
The Goddard School of Manassas is one of 520 The Goddard Schools across the U.S., providing care for children from 6 weeks to 6 years old. It is located just outside the city at 10405 Dumfries Road and can be reached by calling 703-420-7333.
