Rainey Peterson of Payette, Idaho is the mother of five Head Start graduates, all excellent students, one graduated and working in his field. Rainey used to volunteer and now has worked at Head Start for fourteen years. She points to the motivation and independence that Head Start fostered in her children, remembering as one example how she was amazed at first that the children could serve their own meals. She attributes the “positive guidance” and “esteem-building” that her son received at Head Start to have given him direction which “much of the time falls short in the public school system.”

Nick, her oldest, a writer, graduated from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles with a degree in cinema and television. He has written seven original feature length screenplays and intends to pursue a Master’s degree. “Nick has taught my husband, myself, and his siblings that great things can happen if you set your sights high and have the confidence to reach for your dreams.” Kara is a junior at Oregon State University and has been accepted into their apparel design school. Joe is a freshman at the University of Texas studying Kinesiology. Luke, a high school senior in the top ten percent of his class, has been accepted to the Art Institute of California, and Hannah is a high school sophomore who aspires to attend Washington State University and play soccer. “Four of the five all had the same Head Start teacher. She is certainly worthy of taking credit for pat of the ‘success’ in this story! (The other teacher was also very good!).”