eric & claudia watkins

Kingdom Builders

For many years, I knew darkness very well. I was raised in a Christian home and enjoyed a comfortable life. I made ungodly choices that led to me living a life of reckless behavior at a very young age. But, one day after experiencing God’s grace in my life after He had spared my life on multiple occasions from disaster, I looked in the mirror and told myself that I didn’t like the person that I saw.
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In short, God made me a new man through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. God delivered me from a bad sinful habit and He healed me from a painful past, I still have daily struggles but, I know that God’s grace is sufficient in my life. I have enjoyed the pleasure of entrepreneurship and of serving on staff in local churches in both missions and Christian education. Through all of my life experiences – God has placed a passion in me to see those that have been marginalized, neglected and ignored come to know the love, hope, joy and peace that can only be found through faith in Jesus Christ.

By God’s grace and for His glory, I was blessed to attain a BA in Finance from Morehouse College in 1990 and a Master of Christian Education from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in 2009. I am unworthy to be married to such a loving wife, Claudia and to have 3 great children by marriage.

As a child, I loved working with computers and graphic design; however, growing up that passion began to drift into other areas as time passed. I began to notice that adapt a passion for working with children.
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I got my first experience working with children in 1999 as a babysitter for my family and their friends. In 2010, I applied for my first childcare job as a Teacher's Assistant at Sensational Enlightenment Academy (S.E.A.). After being promoted to a Lead Teacher in January 2011, I spent years working for childcare and mission centers and babysitting and tutoring children; I decided to attend college at Ashford University.

I enrolled because I realize that the field of Early Childhood Education was no longer just a job to me. It was time to turn my part-time job into a full-time career. I graduated with my Bachelor of Art in Early Childhood Education and Administration. I currently serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA Reading Program Developer here at Red Door Urban Mission Center.

​As the Reading Program Developer, my mission is to make a difference in the community, starting with the program I serve. My goals are to contribute my skills, talents, and motivation to increase reading proficiency amongst the youth, build the program's capacity, and increase community support by engaging the unique needs of the community members. We believe that to reach the youth, we must first get the parent's attention. I'm passionate about this because today's children are the leaders of tomorrow, so we must use the gift of education to adequately prepare them for their future roles as leaders of the community.

keondra estell - sasfrass

Reading Program Developer