When Brynn Drexler walks into the toddler room at Fox Valley Technical College’s Parent Child Center, a dozen tiny faces light up. As an Assistant Teacher, she spends her days with one-year-olds eager to learn, play and grow.
“I love watching them grow every single day,” she says. “Seeing them pick up something new—it’s amazing what they can do.”
For Brynn, a student in FVTC’s new Early Childhood Education Apprenticeship program, every moment in the classroom is a reminder of why she chose this path. The program gives her the best of both worlds: the chance to earn a credential while gaining hands-on experience working with children. It’s more than a job; it’s a calling that Fox Valley Tech is helping her turn into a career.
Brynn grew up in Oshkosh and graduated from Oshkosh West High School in 2022, a time when pandemic-era virtual learning made hands-on experiences hard to come by. She knew she loved working with children after spending time at the YMCA, the Boys and Girls Club, and babysitting for local families, but she wanted something deeper and more immersive.
Her mom, who works at Fox Valley Tech, mentioned that the college was looking to pilot an apprenticeship program in Early Childhood Education. Brynn jumped at the opportunity.
This experience showed me that this is exactly what I’m meant to do. I’m helping to raise the future generation.
“It kind of came out of the blue,” she says. “I was the first apprentice in the Parent Child Center, so it was a bit of a trial run. But it worked out really well.”
Brynn was drawn to the program because it offered something traditional education couldn’t: the chance to learn while doing. The apprenticeship model allows students to work and learn at the same time, combining classroom instruction with on-the-job training. Students’ tuition is covered while they gain experience.
For Brynn, that means earning a technical diploma while completing 40 hours of work each week at the Parent Child Center, where even her class time counts toward those hours. “It’s given me the chance to focus on learning and growing without worrying about the cost,” she says.
She’s also able to immediately apply what she’s learning. “Being able to go to school and, at the same time, be with the kids and make a difference… I love the idea of that,” she explains. “I’m learning new things every day, and I get to bring those lessons right into the classroom. It feels like we’re growing together.”
When asked what she enjoys most about her work, Brynn doesn’t hesitate.
“Making the kids happy,” she says. “Knowing that I can make them smile and give them a safe, loving place to be… it makes me realize I can make a little difference in their day.”
That sense of purpose reinforces her decision to stay in the field. She plans to continue her education at FVTC after completing her apprenticeship, pursuing an associate degree in Early Childhood Education. She wants to become a lead teacher, with her own classroom.
As she nears the end of her two-year apprenticeship, Brynn reflects on how much she’s grown since her first day at the Parent Child Center.
“When I started, I was nervous,” she admits. “Now, I feel confident. This experience showed me that this is exactly what I’m meant to do. I’m helping to raise the future generation.”
