Steve Zwolak, 59, executive director of the University City Children's Center, 6646 Vernon Avenue, and CEO of the Lume Institute, which was founded by Zwolak and the children's center in 2008 to offer professional development to educators and others in the industry.

FAMILY • Married to Luanne Zwolak, a real estate agent with Prudential Alliance. They live in Brentwood. Two children: Christina Zwolak, 32, a business owner in Phoenix, and Kate Zwolak, 28, an artist in Seattle. Steve is the middle child of five children born in Philadelphia to the late Peter and Mary Zwolak. His father was a steelworker and his mother was a cook in a school cafeteria. His siblings live in Philadelphia in the neighborhood in which they were raised, the Kensington and Allegheny district, which is a historically tough area. Steve has six nieces and nephews.

EDUCATION • Northeast Catholic High School, 1970; Columbia College, Bachelor of Individual Studies with an emphasis on early childhood education, 1974; National Louis University, Master of Education, 2001.

How did you ever wind up going to school in Columbia, Mo., from Philadelphia?

I was the first person in my family to go to college. I could have gone to school at Temple — I got in — but I would have had to live at home, and I knew I needed to move out. I played basketball in high school and Columbia College said I could play basketball there, so that's where I went. I went there with $137.50 in my pocket. It cost $37.50 for a plane ticket from St. Louis to Philadelphia, so I had $100 for everything else.

Did you meet your wife in college?

Yes. She's originally from Kirkwood. Her maiden name was Aydt. We got married when we were in college and then moved to St. Louis when we graduated.

What did you start out doing here?

My first job was as a half-day teacher in a day-care center at McCluer High School. I worked 5 1/2 hours a day and made $2.65 an hour. And I was terrible. I didn't know what I was doing. I wanted to teach the kids and they just wanted a baby sitter.

Did you do a lot of teaching over the years?

Yes, I've taught now for more than 35 years. After I left McCluer, I taught at Ladue Chapel in the nursery school. The director, who became my mentor, was Mary Ross. She told me one day that if I wanted to succeed I would have to learn to talk. I came from a background where I used double negatives and my grammar was awful. I listened to her and paid attention to the way people around me spoke and to this day, I think that was one of the most important things anyone ever told me.

Where else did you teach?

After Ladue Chapel, I started a preschool at McDonnell Douglas — it was called McCare and was for employees' children. It was great. I ran that from 1985 to 1992 and then there was a change in management and that was the end of the school. Then I worked in manufacturing for a while for a company that made early childhood products, like buggies and that sort of thing. From 1995 to 2000 I taught J.K. (junior kindergarten) at MICDS and ran a business consulting firm. In 2000 I took over the University City Children's Center, which had 25 kids at the time and was in an old building that was torn down shortly after we moved into our new building in 2004.

How many kids do you have there now?

We have 164 kids ages 6 weeks through 5 years and we're at maximum capacity. The income range of our families is from $5,000 a year to $150,000 a year. Thirty percent of our kids are African-American, 40 percent are Caucasian and 30 percent are other. They come from 33 different ZIP codes.

Is this what you've always wanted to do?

Yes. My whole approach over my whole career has been to know children from the inside out and to know your self from the inside out. Teachers teach who they are. I want to turn this approach into a national program. We want teachers to learn the art of teaching, not the mechanics of teaching, not the paint-by-the-numbers of teaching.

What are you passionate about besides education?

I love basketball and I love coaching. I coached AAU girls basketball for years, but I had to give it up because of my knees. I love to cook and I love to throw parties. It's all about the presentation. Presentation is key.

What's your favorite book?

"Born for Love," by Bruce Perry.

Your vehicle is a ...

Saab, 2011. Black with leather interior.