Lots of Celebration for HCS Head Start Team Members

Annual scholarship recipient announced, staff promotion, a new hire, an award, and retirements

Springfield, MA – Holyoke, Chicopee, Springfield Head Start (HCS Head Start) has been providing high-quality early childhood education services for children and families in cities and towns located in Western Massachusetts since 1965. This single purpose organization is committed to providing qualifying families with a source of support for a brighter future including educating children, supporting families, and building healthy communities.
 
2025 Janis Santos Scholarship Recipient 
 
Three years ago the organization announced the formation of the Janis Santos Scholarship. This recognition, created by Janis Santos, former CEO of HCS Head Start and resident of Ludlow, Mass, was done to help address the shortage of early childhood teachers. Knowing the importance of supporting this profession, Ms. Santos established this scholarship to support current HCS staff, parents, and all Head Start alumni, who are pursuing a degree in early education and care but may be encountering financial hardship. 

Ms. Santos, along with Nicole Blais, HCS Head Start’s current Chief Executive Officer, were pleased to award the 2025 honor to Barbara Torres Marzan. Torres Marzan, from Chicopee, MA has been with HCS Head Start for close to 4 years  and currently is an Infant/Toddler teacher. At the recent announcement of this honor, she was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude as she was presented with the $2,000 scholarship to continue her studies at Springfield Technical Community College. 
 
Previous honorees include Mayra Felix who recently completed her bachelor’s degree at Springfield College and Notavious Andino-Galarza-Perez who is currently studying at  Columbia University.

Exciting Staff Announcements:  

• After a remarkable 29 years of dedication to Head Start, Rosa Caraballo retired on May 1st. As a teacher at many of the HCS Head Start centers over the years, Caraballo chose to go back to school and shift her career to the family services area of the organization. One thing that remained the same, no matter the department, was her passion and tenacity in serving each and every one of the Head Start children and families. Caraballo lives in Springfield, MA and is looking forward to traveling with her newly found free time. 

• This July Carol Horan, current Site Director for the Lincoln Grove Center in Chicopee, will retire after 24 years with the organization. Throughout her career at HCS Head Start, Horan has supervised and managed various sites and has fostered support for numerous educators and families, building deep and meaningful relationships within the community. Known for her willingness to help, she often assists at family engagement events, comes in early to help open sites and cover in classrooms as needed, and even rides the bus with children and staff during field trips! Her career has been dedicated to supporting the teachers, families, and Head Start mission and she will be missed deeply. Horan calls Windsor, CT her home and once officially retired, cannot wait to spend time traveling and in her garden.

• Yaritza Santos was promoted to the role of Comptroller. Santos began her HCS Head Start career in 2016 as an administrative assistant and the following year was promoted to HR Assistant, followed by another promotion in 2018 to HR Generalist and served as the Interim HR Coordinator during COVID. Following COVID, Santos transitioned to the Fiscal team with her primary responsibilities centering around payroll. She resides in Holyoke, MA and holds an MBA from University of Phoenix.

• Mayra Felix, a Chicopee resident and Teacher Director (TD) at Head Start’s Mason Square Center, won a Plate of Bounty Award. This national recognition is given to an individual who has made a significant contribution to children and families in her program of service. Felix began as a Head Start student herself and then in 1992 she began volunteering at HCS Head Start before receiving her first paid position later that year. 

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Holyoke, Chicopee, Springfield Head Start has been providing high-quality early childhood education services for children and families in cities and towns located in Western Massachusetts since 1965. They are committed to providing low-income children and their families with a source of support for a brighter future. They strive to do so by providing high quality comprehensive child development services to enrolled children and empowering families to achieve stability in their home environment.