Being an early childhood educator means living a life of constant motion in an environment of bright lights, little fingers, and growing humans. But at home, cooking can welcome the solace and silence that calms the senses with a touch of something delicious.
Donna Rascoe is a staff member and teacher at the Early Childhood Center (ECC) at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy. In a classroom of three year-olds, she is responsible for modeling, scaffolding, and teaching children how to interact with others, as well as building social language and providing social and emotional support. During her free periods, which include weekends or a few scattered days off, Rascoe plans upcoming activities for her students.
At home and during elongated breaks, Rascoe will cook and bake for her family. Dishes such as zucchini bread, coconut bread, and a favorite of her and her family, curry dishes, are all examples of dishes Rascoe can cook.
Rascoe was born and raised in Trinidad. Starting at the age of seven, she would help her mother with cooking. On Saturdays, she would grocery shop with her mother and clean the kitchen. On Sundays, after church, she would help prepare big dinners that all of her family enjoyed. Cooking was a strong way to bond with many family members at the time. She now brings her cooking skills to her family in Philadelphia.
Rascoe ’20, who played high school and college football, made it a point to come home after a game. “I did miss it. It is something big and comforting that you’d miss when you leave,” said Aaron Rascoe. He had felt that, during high school, he took all of his mother’s cooking for granted. Sharing food was a bonding moment, he described. It was time for him to sit down and connect. In the mornings, pancakes and waffles would accompany the conversations of academia. Rascoe said that no matter how far he is, he will “always catch up with food.” He now works at the Campbell Soup Company.
If Donna had a whole month to herself, she would enjoy the fresh products of her home country to exert her cooking skills. “I would go back to Trinidad and Tobago and spend my time at the ocean and the rivers and cook a lot of nice, fresh meals, because the food and the seasoning are so authentic. Everything is natural. It’s seasonal; you find things that are in season and enjoy them. And there’s a lot of fruits, a lot of gardening, everything could be planted in your backyard, and everything is just a nice breath of fresh air back home.” said Rascoe.
Rascoe continues her hobby of benefiting others by feeding the homeless three times a year. Such hobbies will continue to comfort Rascoe and her family as she continues teaching the children at the ECC.
