How long have you worked at Sheppard Pratt?
About two years, since January 2020.
What is your job at Sheppard Pratt?
I work for the Adult Residential Treatment Center (RTC) as the Day Program Site Supervisor, collaborating with an amazing team to provide our clients with beneficial routines and day programming.
What does a typical day look like for you?
We provide breakfast and lunch for our clients; work through supply management; planning and preparation for groups; staff management and appreciation planning; and complete other duties as assigned.
What do you enjoy most about working at Sheppard Pratt?
If I had to choose, it would be the sense of teamwork that is shared throughout all of Sheppard Pratt. Having worked at both the Frederick and Towson Adult RTC locations, I have met an array of staff members and have yet to meet one that won’t answer a question or work alongside you to support a client to the best of their ability.
What is your biggest source of inspiration?
I have two: my father and my “grandfather.” My father, a five-year cancer survivor, has always shown me to never give up and to always believe in myself. My “grandfather,” a good family friend, has always inspired me to remain connected with my family and to do what I love—even if that means spending a little extra money or simply taking a day off to sit on the porch with no cares and a glass of sweet tea.
What has been your proudest moment at work?
Being promoted from Vocational Specialist to Day Program Site Supervisor. I have always wanted to continue growing within the mental health field and give back the assistance that was once provided to me.
What would you title the autobiography of your life?
“A Rainbow Without the Pot of Gold.”
What are three traits that define you?
Three traits that define me would be ambition, honesty, and visionary.
What advice do you have for your clients?
It would be a piece of advice I received during an intense time of struggle that has shaped who I am today. When I was battling inner and outer demons, a humble woman sat me down and said, “Never forget to bless them and let them change you. When they make us fall, we will rise.”
What do you like to do outside of work?
I enjoy being around friends and family, as well as spending time with my 3-year-old Mini Australian Sheppard mix. I also like to remain focused on my schoolwork, while listening to my favorite playlist or TV show.
Favorite place you’ve ever traveled?
I haven’t had the opportunity to travel to many different places. In the US, I would have to say North Carolina. It was the location of my “grandfather’s” horse farm. When I was younger, I used to spend my entire summer vacations on the horse farm and would enjoy everything from the peaceful beach to the fun-filled tourist towns. I have only traveled internationally to Cabo, Mexico. But that was a trip I will never forget!
What is your favorite thing to do on the weekend?
I love to hang out with family and friends by the pool, complete my homework assignments, and go to drag shows to see my good friends perform.
If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet and why?
If I could meet anybody, I would choose my mother’s mother, my grandmother, or my mother’s brother, my uncle. They have both passed, but the stories I hear make me feel that they are always right by me. I never had the chance to meet them, but my mother tells me they were never shy of showing their love, their smiles, and their compassion for others. I’m often told I remind my mother of her brother, which makes me feel even closer with him.
If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do?
Irrationally I would purchase a White 2022 Lamborghini Urus, with black rims. Rationally, I would pay off my student debt, buy an apartment or house, and donate a good chunk of the money to my parents so they could finally enjoy full retirement and a beautiful, carefree life.
If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?
I would learn how to fly a hot air balloon, how to parasail, or how to skydive.
