Orcutt's Campus Connection Welcomes New Director

The Campus Connection program, which operates in partnership with the Orcutt Union School District, has provided child care services for thousands of children since its inception in 1992. Though the kids come and go, the staff often stay for years and even decades, a testament to the program itself as well as the District.

Pam English began working in the Campus Connection office thirteen years ago. Though she had been happy in that role, she decided to apply when the position of Director became available and was hired within a few days. With her years of experience, she knows all the ins and outs of the program and is excited to take on this new challenge.

“I love working here and am very proud of our program!”she says. “here have been changes over the years, changes in dynamics, but overall it has stayed strong and has always been a true asset to our community.”

Originally from Fresno, English came to the Central Coast twenty-three years ago and moved to Orcutt eighteen years ago.

“We moved her specifically because we when I had my son in San Luis Obispo at Sierra Vista twenty-two years ago, my hospital roommate was a teacher,”English shares. “he and all her teacher friends recommended Orcutt when I asked where the best schools were located, so we found a fixer-upper around the corner from Dunlap and we’e loved the neighborhood ever since.”

Both her son and daughter spent their academic careers in the Orcutt Union School District, attending Ralph Dunlap, Orcutt Junior High, and Orcutt Academy High School. It seemed only logical that English would eventually find herself working for the District herself.

“I don’ know many families in Orcutt that aren’ required to have two wage earners,”she says. “n fact, I think we all feel that it’ hard to get by anywhere in this state unless both parents work full time. So anyone who works and has children needs safe and affordable child care.”

English believes that the convenience of having child care sites located at each of the five elementary schools in the District, as well as the fact that students are able to be in a program with their peers, are huge bonuses for parents.

“I’ super excited to spend more time working alongside and supporting our staff,”she says. “’ really happy with how great our staff is with the students and I want to keep communication strong and show them how much support our program receives from the rest of the district personnel, the school board, and the entire community.”

Though she will be on-site and available to staff, she will still be holding down the fort on the business side of things at Campus Connection and has plans to implement more automated and online options for parents in the future.

After the first all-staff meeting of the new school year, English received a rousing round of applause from Campus Connection coordinators and assistants who are just as excited to see what the future holds under her leadership.

Rebecca Ross reporting