Stories of Excellence–Brittany Wardrip
Amazing. That is the word that Brittany Wardrip would use to describe her journey at Mitchell. There are many different reasons Mitchell students decide to embark on their educational journey. For Wardrip, it was her desire to better the lives of children and to serve her community. Her Mitchell journey has given her a way to fulfill both those goals, now and in the future.
Wardrip grew up in Savannah, Georgia and moved to North Carolina in 2011. She settled in Mooresville six years ago, where she currently lives with her husband and three children. Wardrip chose to explore a career in early childhood education after enrolling her son into Little Scholars Academy in Huntersville and volunteering at the school. “I was excited to be part of the positive learning atmosphere,” she said. Wardrip was offered a position at the school shortly after. In 2017, she made the decision to take just one early childhood education class at Mitchell. “I learned so much from that class that I wanted to do more,” she noted. “I was already teaching a class of my own in preschool and getting wonderful first-hand experience, but I wanted more.”
Wardrip enrolled in Mitchell’s early childhood education program in the Fall 2019 semester. “I was 29 years old at the time, had 3 kids, married, worked five days a week, and now was adding on a college education,” she shared. “I knew I would have hoops to jump through.” Juggling personal, professional and education commitments was challenging, but Wardrip’s strong support system of family, friends and Mitchell faculty and staff helped her through. “I had so much support at home, with my friends, and after I started classes, I knew I had support at school,” she said. “My instructors were amazing. So helpful, supportive, kind and knowledgeable.”
Although Wardrip was already familiar with many aspects of early childhood education before enrolling at Mitchell, the knowledge and experiences she gained from each class never ceased to amaze her. Program faculty, too, have become not just instructors and mentors but friends. “Mr. Stein has been an absolute miracle through all of this. He’s always had his door open for me, and for all of his students if we needed help. He’s so knowledgeable and has a passion for his subject,” Wardrip noted. “Ms. Thompson gave me career advice that helped me both professionally and personally. She always made class fun and made every second count. And Ms. Hogue is a true rock star. Always busy but always doing what she can for her students, even during these crazy COVID times.”
Despite her busy schedule, Wardrip also makes time to give back to her community. She volunteers at South Elementary School where her children are enrolled, helping both in school and with extracurricular activities such as the Kindness Club. Wardrip also volunteers at Feed NC, a local organization that helps with food insecurities. Her drive to give back comes from the heart and the home. Wardrip’s husband is a retired disabled Iraq veteran, and the family strives to pay forward all the support they have received from their community.
Wardrip is on track to graduate in May 2021 with an Associate in Applied Science in early childhood education. She plans to continue her studies at Appalachian State University in the fall, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in child development. Once Wardrip completes her bachelor’s degree, she would like to work in the public school system with pre-k classes. She is excited to take her combined experience and use it to help children learn and grow in their most formative years.
Wardrip’s advice for future Mitchell students is to utilize all the resources that are available and never be afraid to reach out for help. “It’s been tough at times juggling it all,” Wardrip admitted, “but it’s been so worth it. I love that my kids get witness me working hard for my dreams and goals!” Wardrip’s educational path has not always been easy, but her journey has certainly been transformative. “My time here at Mitchell is almost over and I am so sad about that,” she shared, “but am also thankful for everything that it’s given me as I move forward. I am better, and will be better, because of my time here.”
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