Michelle Bethea’s titles won’t fit on just one business card. The director of Program Engagement and Behavioral Support for the Peake Childhood Center, she’s also an entrepreneur, nonprofit founder, ordained minister and budding gospel artist.
To children, teachers, and parents who count on her at the center, she is a wellspring of knowledge and genuine help.
“In my role, I assist the overall family with basic needs, educational support, providing educational resources, guiding the teachers with behavioral interventions and strategies in the classrooms with children that may have disabilities or need just extra guidance,” said Bethea, who will celebrate one year in the position in August.
“I work with the community, the churches, you name it, to try and support our families in whatever areas they may need. That’s on top of still assisting in childcare settings,” she added.
A Virginia Peninsula Community College graduate, Bethea didn’t set out for a career in childcare. But in 1994, volunteering at a hometown church in Brooklyn, N.Y., set the tone. She was fresh out of Eastern District High School. That early exposure and babysitting for relatives opened up a lifetime of care and service.
She worked in childcare centers for several years before positions in mental health and social work caught her attention. Bethea spent nearly 30 years in intensive in-home counseling and specialized services, including Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) for children with autism, a group home for teen mothers and assisting at-risk teens as a state Court Appointed Special Advocate program worker. Bethea also tutored elementary school students.
“That’s what I always gravitated to — human services. It was either social work, behavior support, mental health, intensive mental health or childhood development,” said Bethea.
A Hampton resident, Bethea works at the center’s locations in Hampton and Newport News. She goes about her job’s many responsibilities with heart. She firmly believes it’s satisfying work helping families stand on their own, children thrive, and teachers feel supported.
“What’s rewarding to me is the changes in families, children and even the teachers,” she said, pointing out it’s refreshing to know her input matters.
She’s not new to leadership. Bethea was an educational and disabilities coordinator with Head Start in Williamsburg-James City County and a class observer for the nationally recognized Teachstone assessment tool before assuming her current role.
With every job and title, one thing remained constant. Bethea is guided by her faith in everything she does, especially how she treats others, walking in her “prophetic gift.” Her approach is simple: meet people where they are to provide what they need.
“Going through personal trials … and overcoming them, then being able to share those experiences with others helped me to realize I have a calling,” she said, pointing to her father’s passing and other painful experiences.
“My father always taught, ‘No matter how much we have or don’t have, it’s always good to be a blessing to someone else and give back.’ That’s always been a part of me. I wanted to be that person, to make sure that I’m a part of making a difference,” she said.
Reflecting on her experiences — moving from New York to Jarratt, Va., for correctional officer training in 2004, shifting jobs a few times, and settling in Hampton in 2007 — she admits college wasn’t on her radar.
She is grateful to former coworkers at the Fort Eustis Childhood Development Center for encouraging her to enroll at VPCC. While working part time, she attended evening classes at VPCC and graduated with honors in 2014. She earned an associate degree in Early Childhood Development and several certifications.
She believes her college education tied all the threads together, enriching her life.
“I already had a lot of work experience but having that degree it helped me grow professionally,” Bethea exclaimed. “I was able to take what I learned and use it in each position that I’ve had and continue to grow.”
Success at VPCC inspired Bethea to continue her education. She started at Liberty University, briefly attended Ashford University and spent a year at Grand Canyon University (GCU). Life events kept stalling her efforts to finish school. Finally, she put her studies on hold to care for her ailing father until his passing in 2019. She left childcare, took a few “odd jobs” and launched a business during the pandemic.
Despite the setbacks, she made college a priority again using her business, MV Catering Services, to pay the way.
“I only had a few more classes to go. Literally after my father passed, I kept hearing his voice saying, ‘Go back to school,’” said Bethea, noting she returned to GCU in 2021, earning a bachelor’s degree in business.
The celebration was marred by huge losses for Bethea the week after receiving her degree. She said her mother and mother-in-law died within weeks of each other.
“I just kept going because I knew there was a calling on my life. I had to keep going no matter how much pain I faced,” she said.
Today, Bethea is gearing up for another run at college with plans to seek a master’s degree in social work at GCU. She wants to become a licensed clinical social worker. It’s a goal she’s had for many years.
Her work doesn’t end at the childcare center or her catering service. Bethea and her husband of eight years also established Yahweh Remnant Ministries, Inc. during the pandemic. They’ve since fed roughly 5,000 people through various community events and partnered with diverse community organizations.
“We partnered with our local shelters and community battered women’s shelters. We provided toys for the kids during Christmas, as well as clothes and food. We feed them and senior citizens, as well,” she explained.
“We go to local rehabilitation centers and nursing homes, you name it,” she added. “(We) didn’t know how we were going to make it, but we took what we had to be a blessing to the people in our community.”
Her attention extends beyond the classroom and community outreach activities.
Bethea said it surprises people to learn she’s a gospel singer and songwriter. She has dedicated eight years to the craft and released her first CD on YouTube during the pandemic.
In a departure from her routine of service to others, she plans to celebrate her 50th birthday this summer in Aruba, where she’ll film a music video.
“I know it’s my makeup and how God created me,” she said of her giving nature. “A lot of times I don’t do anything for myself. This is the first year that I will actually get to do something for me.”
Bethea is determined to keep being a giver whether on the job or in her community. She hopes to expand her nonprofit’s reach and purpose. Excited for what’s next, she wants to focus on stepping into her own at the same time.
“I definitely want to just excel in the ministry and use the degrees that I have now to enhance what is already happening. I also want to be able to completely walk in my calling, which is healing the land,” she said.