Head Start Alumni Honored with Transformational Impact Awards for Leadership and Contributions to Family and Community Well-Being

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Today, three Ohio-based Head Start alumni received a Transformational Impact Award from the National Head Start Association (NHSA) for visionary leadership and community contributions that aim to create transformational change. The awards were presented during the association’s four-day annual National Head Start Conference and Expo. This year’s gathering is especially vital as Head Start marks its 60th anniversary as a legacy brand for early childhood learning, child care, and strengthening families. 

For six decades, lawmakers have prioritized investing in the youngest Americans through Head Start, one of the country’s most popular and impactful bipartisan initiatives. In every state, Head Start sets up children for success by supporting expectant parents and children up to five years old with critical health care, nutritious meals, and other services. Head Start’s multigenerational approach also strengthens families by connecting parents to resources for employment, housing, counseling, and other services that enhance their involvement in their children’s lives and decrease distress. 

The honorees include:

• Mecah Mochoge – Senior Project Engineer, Barton Malow. Mecah attended the Barack and Barnett Centers of the Child Development Council of Franklin County, Inc., in Columbus, Ohio, where her mother was one of the founders and a teacher.

Mecah served in the U.S. Army as a construction engineer for four years and frequently worked overseas for various NATO missions. Following her time in the military, Mecah attended Ohio State University where she graduated in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree of science in construction systems management. Mecah’s first major project out of college was the new Hilton hotel in downtown Columbus, the largest hotel in Ohio and the largest building to have been built in the last 30 years. She was the only female engineer on the project. 

Mecah sits on the Industry Advisory Council at The Ohio State University and oversees an annual middle school girls’ summer construction camp as well as mentors multiple college students each semester. An ardent volunteer, she talks about construction as a career opportunity with students in Columbus City Schools and annually hosts a book-bag drive to provide school supplies to approximately 500 children at a local charter school. Mecah’s son attends Head Start.

• Marie Janelle Carter – Director of Child Care Partnerships, Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency Head Start. Marie attended Head Start in Cincinnati.

Marie is the director of Child Care Partnerships with Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency Head Start and author of three children’s books. She earned an undergraduate degree in psychology and a graduate degree in community counseling and was a licensed community counselor. Marie has worked in the early education field for more than 20 years in various settings, including as a kindergarten teacher and later an administrator for a Christian primary school in Montego Bay, Jamaica.  

As director for the Early Head Start Child Care Partnership program, Marie and her team ensure that the area’s childcare sites integrate Head Start standards and philosophy into the services they provide to enrolled families. Under her leadership and guidance, many of the partnership centers have obtained the highest rating on Ohio’s quality rating improvement scale.

Marie demonstrates her passion for serving through advocacy and is actively involved in supporting Head Start families at the community, state, and national levels. Marie has co-presented at several Head Start conferences and Capitol Hill visits, sharing her personal testimony as a Head Start alumna and professional experiences to inspire policymakers and educators to improve early childhood policies and practices.

• JoeLius Porter – Associate Scientist, Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Hilliard. JoeLius attended Godman Guild Association in Columbus, Ohio, which was operated by the Child Development Council of Franklin County, Inc. 

JoeLius channels his passion and talent as an accomplished violinist and orchestra coach for the Urban Strings, a nonprofit organization that recruits and supports underserved, minority youth to become string musicians. He serves on its board and manages content for its website. He is a member of Genesee Avenue Church of Christ and volunteers as a reader and usher. JoeLius is also an accomplished graphic designer and has designed album covers for recording artists.