S e p t 2 0 1 9 • M a r i e m o n t , O h i o • V o l u m e X L I V, N o . 1
Mariemont Community Church Preschool Celebrates Five Decades By Margaret Jevic
Coming Full Circle It was 23 years ago that my husband, Alex Jevic, walked through the doors of Mariemont Community Church Preschool as a tiny twoand-a-half year-old ready for his first day of preschool. A new teacher’s assistant, Renee Brownfield, had started at the school two years earlier and would become one of Alex’s teachers during his time at the preschool. Now things have come full circle. Our son, Benjamin, started preschool in August at MCCP where Renee is now director, and where the teachers and students are celebrating the school’s 50th year being open. Many other Mariemont families are likely in the same spot – having attended MCCP and subsequently having a child who attended. That’s the great thing about Mariemont; those who grew up here often want to come back here to raise their families. For Brownfield, this is the first time such a “full circle” event like this has happened. She grew up in Fairfax and went to Mariemont High School, graduating in 1988. After graduating from Eastern Kentucky University with a degree in Early Childhood Education, she started at MCCP in 1994 as a teacher’s assistant. As Renee recalls, she was a new grad looking for a meaningful job. She accompanied her mother to church one day and heard that MCCP was looking for a teacher’s assistant. Renee went to the interview and initially believed it could at least serve as a “stepping stone until [she] could get a real job.” That was 25 years ago.
Renee Brownfield (right) with former Mariemont Community Church Preschool student Alex Jevic (left) who is holding his son, and current preschooler, Ben. After Renee walked through the doors of MCCP, she tells me she “fell in love” with the job, the environment, the ratio of children to teachers, and couldn’t bring herself to leave. She worked her way up from assistant to teacher to lead teacher to full time director. Renee was initially hesitant to take on the director role, as she had only been with MCCP for six years and still felt so new, but she decided to take it anyway. That same year, in 2002, the church was uncertain if it would be
able to keep the preschool open and decided to try one more year to see if they could make it work. MCCP is now celebrating 50 years strong. Sometimes all the pieces just fall into place, and that’s what has happened for MCCP and Renee. The preschool is fortunate to be located in such a wonderful spot, supported by an attentive church and community, and continued on next page