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Alumni Entrepreneurs
Bobbi McClelland
Bobbi McClelland earned her bachelor’s degree in child development and family studies in 2011 and her masters in elementary education in 2013. Eager to start her career, she began looking for director positions at local daycares.
“I always wanted to open my own daycare, but I wanted to get some experience under my belt,” McClelland said. “The problem was that without past director experience it wasn’t easy to find a job here in Morgantown.”
The challenges of finding a job with little experience didn’t slow McClelland down, but instead motivated her to move forward with her plan of running her own childcare center. In 2014, she opened Storybook Daycare in Star City, W.Va.
“Opening a daycare is a complicated process,” McClelland said. “Just to get licensed I had to meet multiple criteria, such as having the right size building and appropriate toys. I also had to pass inspections from the fire department and health department before I could have the state come in for approval.”
Fortunately for McClelland, her time at WVU not only provided her with the experience to run her own childcare center, but also with the mentors to help her through the process.
“Dr. Barbara Warash and Dr. Nancy Wolfe-Dilgard have been huge mentors,” McClelland said. “I’ve been able to ask them anything and they’ve been able to help me with any questions I have. As far as the business side, it has been a huge learning process. That has been more complicated for me than the day-to-day of running the center.”
Though McClelland admits that many of the aspects of running a daycare are stressful, the most stressful part for her is working with parents.
“Parents can be stressful, but I’ve learned that if you communicate often, they quickly learn that their children are loved and that is what makes them happy,” McClelland said. “It is important that I provide an environment where kids are able to learn, explore and play, while also providing their parents with a great experience as well.”
Three years later, Storybook Daycare has moved into a newly updated facility and provides care for almost 70 children ages 6 weeks to 6 years old five days a week.
“It is surreal most days because I never expected to be owning my own business at 25,” McClelland said. “There are a lot of challenges, but I absolutely love coming here every day. I am still figuring out what it is like to be a business owner, but I really love working with kids and am glad I took the leap.”
Though McClelland found success running her own business, she couldn’t leave WVU behind. She is back in the classroom, pursing her doctorate in early childhood education. While she hopes to keep running the center, it is a long-term goal of hers to teach early childhood education at the collegiate level.
While many business owners continue their education for business growth and future opportunity, McClelland’s motivation is different. “I absolutely love this job, but I’d like to keep it small,” McClelland said. “Continuing my education keeps me up to date and provides me with personal growth opportunities. I know all my kids and their parents and don’t want them to be just another face. I have a relationship with all of them and want to keep it that way.”