Most of us can point to places that shaped our lives. For some, it’s a school. A neighborhood. A church.
For Gigi Hildenbrand, the Director of Childcare at Eastern Star, it’s HCM.
What began as a college practicum became a lifelong calling: one that has touched generations of families and continues to do so today. Her story is a reminder that the work happening here is not just about care in the moment, but about relationships that last a lifetime.
I first heard about HCM in the Fall of 1986, and it was because I had been assigned to the Highland Baptist Center to do my practicum for a psychology class while a student at Bellarmine. I was thrilled to be put in the baby room. That was my favorite age.
After a few weeks, the director, Carol Kohne, called me into her office and asked me if I wanted a job. The center was getting ready to move to our current location on Cherokee Road (we were the Cherokee Center at the beginning), and they needed another staff member for the afternoons in the infant room. I had been babysitting for years, but had never had a “real” job, so I was VERY excited! The rest, as they say, is history!
In the beginning, I was a part-time infant teacher, subbing when I could. When the long-time infant teacher retired, I decided to apply and become full-time. As time went on, I became a Service Worker II, which included some administrative duties to support the director\assistant director. In 1994 I became the assistant director. In September of 2025, I became the director. I have worked with every age, cooked, taken laundry home when needed, comforted parents and tended sick children; it is true that childcare workers wear many hats.
I literally have lived ⅔ of my life through HCM. — Gigi
During the first weeks at HCM, I remember feeling like the staff were like a big family; I loved how caring the parents were and how satisfying it was to help our families navigate the early years. I still feel that way today! Yes, we have had our ups and downs over the years, but don’t most families? During my first 15 years or so with HCM, many of my co-workers had been with HCM longer than me. That seems to be a pattern with HCM, people start with HCM and they never leave- “HCMers” are in for the long haul! I have worked with so many wonderful people over the years! One person in particular, Valerie Brice, was working in the baby room when I started as a Bellarmine student. She was the best mentor\ role model for SO many staff over the years, me included. Valerie and I both had several family members that worked at the center over the years, which added to our family feeling along with all the other people that have worked here over the years that became family.
I literally have lived ⅔ of my life through HCM. From being a young college student to getting married and having kids of my own. My twins attended Eastern Star, and they still have good friends that they “met” here or met in grade school and realized they had been at the other HCM location. My son’s oldest friend is a HCM infant buddy, and they went to grade school, high school and roomed together their freshman year at UK. Those are the kind of bonds you find at HCM! I even have 2 children I cared for in the infant room now back here with children of their own- full circle. It is so fun to see Clare and Ryan again, now as adults with babies of their own. It’s one of those moments where you realize just how much time has passed, and how much has stayed the same.
While so much has changed over the last 40 years, some things remain wonderfully the same: children’s love of being outside on the playground, their curiosity, and the sense of wonder they feel as they discover new things—whether they’re learning to take their first steps or watching caterpillars transform into butterflies.
The years have been filled with so many memories. Many alumni still remember the days of the famous “bumpy van”—named because every child screamed with laughter whenever we hit a bump in the road. Field trips were adventures in themselves: visits to Henry’s Ark, Miss Kitty’s Pumpkin Patch, Joe Creason Park, or even something as simple as driving through the car wash, where the foam hitting the windows caused shrieks of pure joy. One of my favorite memories is taking the Jelly Bean class to Ms. Pam’s house for a picnic lunch and a tour of her famous teddy bear collection. I even took the Pre-K class (and many of their parents) to our farm at rough river for a day long adventure!
While field trips like those are no longer part of our routine, the spirit of fun and exploration is still very much alive. Now we celebrate with picnics complete with bouncies and sometimes train rides or the ice cream truck. We welcome special visitors like Farmer Steve and Silly Safari, and nothing beats a sprinkler-and-splash day on a hot summer morning, especially when popsicles are involved.
It would be impossible to reflect on these 40 years without recognizing the extraordinary support of our parents. Their dedication is second to none. They organize, volunteer, and stand beside us in every center-wide or classroom event, creating a true partnership between families and staff. That partnership is a major reason HCM feels so much like family.
As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of our center here at Eastern Star, I hope to see many alumni (and their parents!) return. This old building has housed so much happiness for four decades; it will be an honor to continue to be the steward of this building and HCM.
