Becky Gates Children’s Center celebrates 25 years of education, research
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – The Becky Gates Children’s Center celebrated 25 years of supporting Aggie children.
The children’s center is located on campus and serves over 165 children of Texas A&M University staff, students and faculty. During an event to celebrate the milestone Friday, attendees heard from the namesake of the center, Becky Gates and current Interim President of Texas A&M University, Gen. Mark Welsh.
During the event, stories of past students who went through the childcare center were shared, including some who stayed close and have the center to thank for a great start.
“I think it’s incredible that we’re at a stage in the lifecycle of this center that we now have people who started here as children in care and are now in Ph.D. programs at Texas A&M. I mean that’s a serious circle of life kind of tale,” Gen. Welsh said.
Becky Gates Children’s Center Director, Erica Ritter, shared a bit of history about the program and how it was made possible thanks to the university acknowledging that student parents were struggling with child care in 1998.
Now, Ritter says they continue support by reinvesting tuition and fees right back into the program.
“It took so long to get this place open and now that we’re celebrating 25 years and continue to receive support from the university it’s an amazing time to be in early childhood at Texas A&M University,” she said.
Not only does this center help care for children, but it is also used to help teach students and future teachers, plus researchers are able to use the facility and learn more about improving childhood education.
