top of page
640px-Black_colour (4).jpg

Please allow me to introduce myself,

My name is Rashida Yost. I am 51 years old. I am a wife to a dedicated Berkeley Spring man, a mother to three beautiful daughters, and one very talented son. I run daycare centers in Martinsburg. I am currently taking a break from college due to the expansion of my business. I am very passionate about education. I love West Virginia so much because it has lots of fond memories of me and my family. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCUizYYD9ks

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LVKdYmVXZK8

More About Me

I was born in Manassas, Virginia but grew up in Singapore. My mother ran her own catering company until she passed in the year 2000. I started working in a childcare center in Singapore in 1991. I love the job so much. I left for a year and worked in a bank. However, I missed the children's laughter and interactions. Hence, I went back to working in childcare centers again. 

Apart from teaching in many centers in Singapore, I was given the opportunity to travel to many neighboring countries giving phonics and reading seminars to childcare teachers in Asia. It was one of the best career I ever had. I enjoyed every moment giving speeches and assisting teachers in Asia on how to encourage a child to enjoy reading. I met and taught many children of different ethnicity. It was awesome learning new cultures and languages too. 

Between 1997 to 2008, I organized and helped organized many charity events. I also managed to raise money to fund twenty children in a childcare center to watch Walt Disney Mickey Mouse performed in Singapore. 

In 2008, I was invited to speak to two hundred childcare staff from Tumble Tots Indonesia in Chiputra, Jakarta, Indonesia and returned twice to speak and addressed the importance of language and reading among children ages two and above. 

In 2010, I had the honor of designing the interior, created the brand, and managing a 340 capacity Kindergarten in Singapore. I created Derbyshire Kindergarten from scratch. From its logo to its establishments, a four level building of its own, designed and built by its owner, a Singapore-Indonesian Lady Developer. The Kindergarten featured its own computer lab, a huge room with mirror to the ceiling for speech & drama sessions, three superbly designed infant care rooms with crafted furniture, kitchen on every floor, elevators, gated playground around the building, four managers' offices, and a president suite equipped with a conference room that can fit sixteen staff members. My former boss lady splurged every penny into this business. 

In 2013, I moved back to Virginia with my daughter and son. Despite overcoming a divorce, making ends meet by working everywhere, and managing the two children who came with me, I started over and persevered. I met my husband in 2015, enrolled back in college, got married in 2019, and bought over a childcare center in Martinsburg six months later. In March 2020, covid hit everyone. After one setback from another, my family and I stood by each other and worked twice as hard to keep going. When the first PPP hit my childcare bank account, I used the funds to renovate the basement of the childcare building and opened twenty-five more capacity. This allowed my center to accommodate a total of seventy-five children with sixteen full time staff running the center. While other businesses and childcare centers were closing, we were expanding. When the second PPP hit the business account in February 2021, I secured another building downtown Martinsburg and started planning for my second center. Now, I am waiting for licensing visit to officially open this forty-one capacity childcare center. A total of seven full time staff are currently under training at the corporate office. 

I met so many families, spoke to so many people, visited many small business owners, had conversation with many law enforcement officers, discussed issues and medical concerns with many medical professionals, listened concerns presented by many educators in schools and childcare centers, watched many cases and indictments with local attorneys, researched many coal miners and the keystone pipeline histories, and contacted many investment companies pertaining the economy and future funds stabilities. 

I developed plans and policies as early as 2020 before and after covid hit us. I am ready to help. I am ready to make West Virginia Almost Heaven to live in again. I believe the children are my strength, the people are my motivations, and the State's natural beauty and resources are my aspiration to taking this task. I am ready! 

bottom of page