Edwin Foster: Football player. Wrestling coach. Phys ed. buff….and Preschool teacher?Gateway Early Childhood Lab's Edwin Foster 'connects the blocks' with Reuben Jaramillo Jr. during playtime. Edwin is the childcare's only male teacher.
By: Dominica Jaramillo
“When you think of a man working with kids, you think of a tall, skinny fragile guy…” Edwin Foster reflects on his somewhat unusual position as a preschool teacher. Big and burly, athletic and active Foster is not the standard mental image you get when you think about a preschool teacher. In a profession predominately saturated with women, Edwin admits his position is uncommon; yet, in an a effort to feed an undeniable calling, Foster faithfully mentors and guides a team of 3-year-olds, Monday thru Friday, 40 hours a week.
Born and raised in Kenosha, Edwin, endearingly known to children as ‘Ed’, was always supported and encouraged by his mother. “I get most my direction in life from her. She had a gift for nursing, and I have that gift too.” Only, Ed’s gift is with children. And he knows it. “I didn’t try to do this. It’s just something I had to do.”
Motivated by a desire to play college football, and the lifelong dream of teaching at his childhood high school, Bradford, Foster graduated the University of Dubuque, Iowa with a double major in physical education and speech communication. While he did play college football, and he did realize his dream job at Bradford, Foster also received the opportunity to be a physical education instructor and a special education teacher at a number of other schools. In fact, his continuous interaction with children eventually lead up to his establishing a youth wrestling club, the Little Red Hot Wrestling Club, for children ages 4-14.
Citing the club as an opportunity to provide an opportunity, Foster exercises his desires for the youth, and his passion for physical activity, to lead and to edify the community’s youth. Offering skills that pave the way for other sports activities as well, Ed uses the non-profit organization as a prime opportunity to instill upon the children good manners, responsibility, sportsmanship and self-discipline. “I just love kids. The biggest thing for me, coming from a single parent home, is that my mother always did a lot for us. We didn’t always have much money growing up, but I wouldn’t trade it for all the money. There’s a wealth of thing you can do to have fun.” And that’s exactly the fact Ed hopes to continuously impart on ‘his’ children as he works to make his club a ‘family away from family’. “The kids appreciate it and they tell their friends. The next thing I know, more and more kids are coming to the club. That’s what it’s all about.” But how does a wrestling coach and mentor become a preschool teacher? Foster says, “Through that club, I realized working with little kids is what I wanted to do.”
A clear path uncovered, Ed began to look for a job. Coincidently, a position at the Racine Campus Gateway Technical College’s Early Childhood Lab presented itself. During his interview with the childcare’s director, Ed recalls the first question he was asked, “Are you serious about applying for this job?” Perhaps because he was a male; perhaps because he was out-of-the-ordinary; perhaps simply to assure this important position wasn’t being used as a ‘filler’ position. Regardless of why, Foster excitedly confirmed a dedicated and committed heart for the children. Providing a male perspective to all the interview questions, Ed exclaims, “I think my answers caught her off guard. I think they blew her away!” Apparently so! Despite mounds of applicants, the center’s director placed the position in the hands of an unusual candidate: athletic, brawny, manly Ed.
Fueled by confidence in his gifting and words of encouragement from his closer younger brother, Ed showed up for training “overwhelmed by woman!” “The ladies here [at Gateway] are awesome. They care for the children and they care for each other. I was like ‘wow, I need to step up my game; these ladies are on it!’” According to Ed, everyday since has been nothing but fun!
Strategically assigned to the 3-year old classroom, Ed admits “I love his place.” At times, being a male and, an African American, may seem an awkward spot for Ed, but, in an innocent act of love, the kids overlook all preconceived notions of difference or unusualness. “The kids don’t care about color; they just care about the person” says Ed, “We just play.”
In addition to his 9-5 commitment, as well as his dedication to the wrestling club, Foster has hopes of one day opening a youth center and daycare in between Kenosha and Racine. “I feel, in both towns, there are a whole bunch of children who aren’t being reached. Money’s tight so many organizations are focusing on the older youths, but I think we need to get to the babies first.”
Creating a job, a past-time and a dream around today’s youths, Ed says “I just want kids to have fun, period.” Even going so far as to lose 34 pounds to be more active with the children, he concludes, “My family says I’m a big kid…and I’ll stay a big kid till I’m 90!”
