Amy Marsen ’07 has breathed new life into a beloved preschool
It’s just after noon at Red Brolly Preschool in Georgetown. A dozen preschoolers sit quietly on the carpet in anticipation of story time. Teachers tidy up and prepare blankets and pillows for nap time to follow. And Amy Marsen ’07 beams with pride.
“That’s my husband, Kyle. He has reading duty today. This is truly a family affair,” laughs Marsen, gesturing to Kyle perched on a preschool size chair. “We got licensed at the end of July, we had our ribbon cutting on September 2, and our first day of school was September 3.”
While Kyle and Amy are new owners of the school, it’s a familiar setting for her and most of her staff. It’s the former home of Pentucket Workshop, a beloved preschool that operated in the community for 53 years. Amy Marsen started working there as a student teacher while studying at NECC. Many of her fellow teachers started out the same way. When she learned the Pentucket Workshop was closing its doors, she felt it was a sign to step up and open her own preschool in its place.
“I said, I can’t let this be the end. I believe so strongly in supporting children and families. I knew I had to continue the work I loved because of the mission — and because of all I had learned from the many incredible teachers I worked alongside during my tenure. At the time, I didn’t know if it was even possible — it felt like a far-fetched dream. There was so much to consider, figure out, and plan.”
Planting the Seeds
Marsen says she’s had a knack for caring for others for as long as she can remember. She gravitated toward helping younger family members and started babysitting from an early age. As she got older, however, she found she needed to apply those caretaking skills to her own mother, who struggled with several illnesses. By the time she was a student at Haverhill High School, the heaviness of homelife started to take a toll.
“My father’s amazing, we had an amazing support system, but I think we all had, like, different roles, because my mom was sick. So, I feel like some of that played into not feeling as confident in myself and because my focus wasn’t all on school and getting to that next step,” she remembers.
After graduation in 2002, she was working full-time at a local Marshall’s store. She was on track to become a manager, until one day she thought about what it might mean down the road.
“I said, ‘I really don’t want to do this. I want to be a teacher.’ So, I went back to school.”
Marsen enrolled at Northern Essex as an Early Childhood Education major and soon realized she’d made the right choice.
“During my time at NECC, I met incredible professors like Deirdre Budzyna and Gail Feigenbaum, whose guidance and encouragement were life changing. Their mentorship extended far beyond the classroom, shaping not only the teacher I became but also the way I view early childhood education as a whole.”
“I don’t come from a business background — I am an educator through and through. But I’m also resourceful, creative, and eager to learn. The business side can be learned; what I bring is a caring, empathetic style of leadership and unconditional love for what I do and who I serve.” – Amy Marsen ’07
Marsen graduated in 2007 and went on to Fitchburg State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood and interdisciplinary studies, along with her Massachusetts teaching license. She later returned to NECC for her director’s certification and recently completed a certificate in Behavioral Health and Trauma in Early Childhood Education.
Watching Her Dream Grow
Though the idea of opening her own school was daunting at first, Marsen says knowing she had the support of her family, her fellow teachers, and her former professors gave her the confidence to pursue her dream. She decided to give the school a new name—Red Brolly is a playful term for an umbrella—and a few coats of new paint. She was able to use a lot of the fixtures and furniture from the previous school, and the landlord was happy to make a few adjustments to get the space to match her vision. When they officially cut the ribbon on Red Brolly on September 2, NECC professors Deirdre Budzyna and Doris Buckley were there to celebrate.
“This preschool is truly my dream realized. I feel so blessed to be able to continue doing what I love, alongside people I love. I won’t lie — I’m both scared and thrilled at the same time. But as I often remind my own children: being brave doesn’t mean not being afraid, it means moving forward in spite of your fears.”
