“I consider every kid to be my kid.”

Starting March 7, St. Joe’s will conduct open interviews for available positions and would love to meet you. If you enjoy working with children, apply to become a teacher in our Child Development Center. 

Jessica Lay, teacher and float facilitator at the center, takes pride in knowing she can leave a lasting impact on the children we serve. For 25 years, she has been the familiar face kids can’t wait to see every morning and stands ready with a warm hug, easy smile, and kind words. “I enjoy helping kids and being a positive influence on them so they can be upstanding adults. I consider every kid to be my kid, and I make sure I leave a good impression on them.”

Jessica became inspired to work with kids when she met Miss Lee, her second-grade teacher. “I would go to her home for tutoring outside of school. She took me under her wing and since then, that has been what I’ve wanted to do for kids.” Establishing a close relationship with the children is rewarding for Jessica, but the comical moments are the highlight of her job. “I was lulling a kid to sleep, and I started to sing and the child said: ‘No sing Miss Jessica, no sing. You can’t sing Miss Jessica.’” 

This post was supported by funds made available by the Kentucky Department for Public Health’s Office of Health Equity from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for STLT Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, under RFA-OT21-2103.

 The content of this post are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of or endorsement by the Kentucky Department for Public Health or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.