For more than 20 years, lead childcare specialist Audrey Spence has been a familiar face for children attending the Child and Family Development Center (CFDC) on the University of Maryland Eastern Shore campus and their parents, who all affectionately refer to her as “Miss Audrey.”
After this week’s commencement ceremony, everyone can call her a master’s graduate too.
“My passion for children and doing more for the community was what led me to getting into childcare,” said Spence, a Princess Anne native who earned her bachelor’s degree from UMES in 2007 in human ecology with a concentration in child development. “As a child born and raised in this community I’ve noticed there wasn’t a lot to do here, so my desire was to do more to fill that void.”
It also became a reason she decided to return to school at UMES to get her master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling in the fall of 2022.
“It took me 15 years because I kept making excuses,” she said, adding that she had to be sure she was focused. “It can be a challenging and difficult process, and I wanted to make sure that my mind was where it needed to be.”
While she took her graduate classes on campus in a traditional capacity, Spence, now in her 40s, considered herself a non-traditional student. During her return to school, Spence also gave birth, leading to a pause in her education.
“I wanted to focus on my little one first and then I decided to put me first,” she said. “That’s what allowed me to get back in focus in order to do so.”
Once she was in the right place, Spence began taking two classes at a time working her way towards her degree.
Spence said her decision to get her master’s degree was to help meet the growing need for mental health professionals in the area, especially focusing on at-risk children.
“Representation matters, and we needed more people who look like us to come out and be able to advocate for those children that are being left out,” she said. “I wanted to dig deep and focus on addictions because that’s been a focal point. I’ve seen it grow after COVID when the world ‘closed down’ and so many people found themselves alone.”
Spence, a 2007 UMES graduate, will earn her second degree from her alma mater during the 139th Spring Commencement on May 15.
Spence said the experience of working in childcare paired with her rehabilitation counseling studies well. She ultimately wants to do observations at several facilities to determine what best suits her before planning to sit for her Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor examination.
“I think it starts from the beginning to be able to cultivate and let the children know from the beginning that we’re here to help while they’re young,” she said. “Children’s brains are continually developing through their adulthood, so we want to make sure that we are instilling the positivity, the outlets and necessary resources from the beginning and not wait until those habits can’t be reversed.”
CFDC director Dr. Donna Long said Spence’s sincerity and passion for families and children has been a constant since Spence’s time working as a student.
“I could see that spark and light when she was an undergraduate, and none of that has changed,” Long said. “The engagement she has had with the children and knowing each infant’s individual needs is so lovely to see.”
Long said Spence is equipped to succeed in any field she desires.
“This is her season,” Long said. “She’s given so much to her center, her sorority (Delta Sigma Theta), and her family. She will be able to give that same way to a variety of people that are in different life circumstances, and she’ll know how to guide and encourage them through with the same reassuring, kind, and knowing way of wanting what’s best for them.”
Spence and more than 300 graduates will walk during their commencement Friday, May 15 at 10 a.m. in the Hytche Athletic Arena on the UMES campus.
As Spence — a first-generation college graduate — now becomes a double UMES graduate, she sees the importance of being able to inspire others. Her daughter, Shekinah Spence, is currently attending UMES as a freshman, majoring in exercise science.
“I told her she could go anywhere she wanted, and she said ‘mama, I want to be right where your alma mater is, and I’m excited and proud to be a Hawk,’” she said. “So, it’s exciting to be able to have her be here and I know that at least my kids are watching and it’s paying off.”
