Faosat Adelani: 30 Years with UCCC

Faosat Adelani has been at UCCC working with children and families since 1994. She first came to UCCC as a parent and started volunteering at the center helping out wherever she could. 

Faosat said she was around so much that when one teacher left the center, she was placed in a classroom. She stayed in that classroom for 3 months with a mentor helping her to learn to teach as she went. Her journey at UCCC only continued upward from there.

30 years later, Faosat continues to work at UCCC as a program support facilitator, most notably working with Head Start children and families. When asked why she’s stayed with the center so long, she talked about the joy of UCCC. She said, “This is my family,” she talked about the community of the teachers and staff of UCCC, but also the families and children of UCCC, explaining some children from her first classroom still come by to visit her. 

Faosat also talked about the joy enveloping the center itself, she spoke with passion about the environment of the center and how much joy it carries, and the joy the people inside carry. 

She finally explained the joy she gets everyday doing her work. Part of being a program support facilitator is conducting screenings for children to document their development, while this seems boring, it’s quite the opposite to her. “I just play with them,” Faosat says, “they don’t know it’s a test, I play with them and I get all of the information I need.”

When jokingly asking if she plans to work another 30 years at the center, Faosat says she will never retire because she’s never worked a day in her life at UCCC. 

UCCC is incredibly grateful to Faosat for the work she’s done and the impact she’s made on children, families, and staff for 30 years. Her connection and support with families has helped to make UCCC a nurturing and supportive community for all.