Today we’d like to introduce you to Preston Trippe.
Hi Preston, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
We were first introduced to Beginnings SC shortly after our daughter was diagnosed with hearing loss at age five, but it would be a while before we reached out to them for support. As parents, when you receive a diagnosis like this, there are sometimes a lot of emotions involved that have to be navigated through, and it took us a while to do that. Once we did, however, we immediately fell in love with the organization and its mission. Beginnings provided us with guidance and access to a wealth of resources – IEP assistance, community resources, social gatherings, and even ASL classes. Looking to get more involved in the organization, I began serving on the board. That same willingness to serve and desire to give back is why he accepted the Executive Director position when it became available.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
For me, there was a steep learning curve when I became Executive Director. When I accepted the position as Executive Director, I was working as a Residential Realtor here in town and had worked at an Anheuser-Busch wholesaler in Orangeburg for over ten years prior to that. So I came into this role with little to no nonprofit experience and had to learn a lot in a very short time. All while helping our daughter navigate her hearing loss journey.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Our Mission:
Beginnings SC provides expert knowledge and individualized planning strategies for parents, professionals, & communities to promote successful outcomes for children who are deaf or hard of hearing in South Carolina.
We are almost entirely funded by two grants. Those two grants are the foundation for the two things we are best known for.
1. Our Hearing Screening Program. We provide free hearing screenings to licensed childcare centers across the state.
2. Our Parent Support Services/Parent Education Program. We provide free support to the families of D/HH children across the state. We offer support with everything from IEP meetings to ASL classes.
We have several other smaller programs, but those two are our biggest and the ones that I am most proud of.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I was pretty introverted, and I probably still am to some extent. However, I am working hard on that.
I played a lot of baseball growing up and enjoyed being outside camping and fishing as much as possible.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.beginningssc.org/
- Instagram: Beginnings_SC
- Facebook: Beginnings-SC
