Metropolitan Library System has been selected through a competitive application process to participate in NASA @ My Library, an education initiative created to increase and enhance STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) learning opportunities for library patrons throughout the nation, including geographic areas with high Latinx populations. Selected libraries receive bilingual (Spanish/English) solar science kits that include a telescope, hands-on activities, and culturally relevant resources; access to NASA subject matter experts for programs; and multiple opportunities for training and support.
Gloria Melchor, a librarian at Capitol Hill Library, applied to this program on behalf of Metropolitan Library System, and the library system was selected as one of 49 national awardees to receive these solar science kits.
As a NASA @ My Library Partner, Metropolitan Library System will receive a kit that contains items such as a 4.5” Dobsonian telescope with solar observing add-on. The Dobsonian telescope provides views of celestial objects like galaxies and nebulae and is a popular choice among astronomers. It also includes two Sunspotters, which use lenses and mirrors to show a projection of the sun’s image so you can safely look at the sun. Included as well is a STEM activity kit based on the children’s book “Moonbear’s Shadow,” designed for grades Pre-K-1st Grade, exploring the concept of shadows. Using the kit, children engage in activities inspired by the book’s storyline, using flashlights and props to model scenes and understand the interplay between light, shadows, and the sun’s movement. The kit includes detailed instructions, materials for six groups, flashlights, felt mats and ponds, bear figures, Kirigami trees, a concept card, and a copy of the book.
These resources, along with support by the NASA @ My Library team, will enable Metro Library to conduct cutting-edge NASA STEAM programming and activities. NASA @ My Library will create compelling learning experiences for Metro Library’s community and share the story, science and adventure of NASA’s scientific explorations of planet Earth, our solar system and the universe beyond.
Upcoming events will feature these items like the following:
Moonbear Shadow Storytime April 3 from 4:15pm-5:00pm at Capitol Hill Library (327 SW 27th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73109). This storytime is centered around the story of “Moonbear’s Shadow,” and will delve into the creation of shadows, explaining how they form when an object obstructs light from reaching a surface, among other related concepts.
Solar Eclipse Viewing Party April 8th from 1:00pm-8:00pm at Capitol Hill Library (327 SW 27th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73109). The total solar eclipse will grace Oklahoma on April 8, 2024, commencing at 1:44 pm CDT, with the Moon’s shadow finally departing the state at 1:51 pm CDT. In case you don’t have Solar Eclipse Glasses, join the Capitol Hill Library during their Eclipse viewing party, where attendees can take turns observing the Solar Eclipse through the Dobsonian telescope and Sunspotters. While awaiting your turn, engage in Eclipse-themed activities with fellow participants. No registration is required, and all ages are welcome.
“The group of libraries participating in this program really embodies the changes we’ve been seeing over the past two decades in the library field,” Project Director Anne Holland said. “Programs for diverse patrons, opportunities for teen engagement, and making cutting-edge science relevant for their patrons are just some of the ways this group stands out.”
Other passive activities include a drawing at Capitol Hill Library that offers a chance to win a science and solar-themed book in either English or Spanish. This is just the start of events and programs to develop from the new opportunity.
NASA @ My Library is offered by the National Center for Interactive Learning (NCIL) at the Space Science Institute (SSI) in partnership with the ALA Public Programs Office, Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) and Education Development Center (EDC). This material is based upon work supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under cooperative agreement No. NNX16AE30A. This work was also assisted and supported by the Space Science Institute, which was the recipient of the cooperative agreement. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NASA or the Space Science Institute.
About Metropolitan Library System: The Metropolitan Library System provides library services for more than 800,000 residents of Oklahoma County. We have 19 physical locations as well as 24/7 access to our digital resources as metrolibrary.org.
Additional Contact : Zoe Travers, Internal Communications Coordinator, (405) 606-3751,
zoe.travers@metrolibrary.org.

By Nick Thomas

The 15th Turner Classic Movies Film Festival is scheduled for April 18-21, in Hollywood. Canceled for a couple of years due to the pandemic, no one was more pleased to attend the festival when it resumed in person two years ago than actress Diane Baker, a popular guest at many of the past festivals.
“I love them!” said Baker from Los Angeles, who noted that the 2020 and 2021 events had been held virtually.
The five current TCM hosts (Ben Mankiewicz, Alicia Malone, Dave Karger, Eddie Muller, and Jacqueline Stewart) will be on hand to introduce dozens of movies during the four-day event as the classic film community rallies around this year’s “Most Wanted: Crime and Justice in Film.” festival theme (see www.filmfestival.tcm.com).
A prolific film and television actor, producer, and college teacher, Baker remembers when the TCM cable channel came into existence 30 years ago this month and its first host.
“I was there the night of the announcement at the Writer’s Guild Theater in Los Angeles,” she recalled. “Roger Mayer (the late Columbia Pictures, MGM, and Turner former executive) came on stage to announce Turner Classic Movies was going to be launched and with no commercials, and that Robert Osborne (1932-2017) would be the new full-time host.”
During his subsequent two decades with the channel, Osborne became the beloved public face of TCM due to his genial on-screen nature, mellow comforting voice, and encyclopedic knowledge of the entertainment industry.
“I’d known Robert since I was 19 years old,” said Baker. “He studied journalism at the University of Washington but came to LA to try acting and lived in the neighborhood where I was growing up – Sherman Oaks.”
When attempting to secure her first Hollywood contract, Baker even read audition scenes with Osborne.
“I was offered a contract and he was not!” said Baker, who signed with Twentieth Century Fox and soon began filming her first feature, 1959’s emotionally charged “The Diary of Anne Frank.” Osborne, she says, accompanied her to the premiere.
Filmed almost entirely on a cramped stage setting to reproduce the confined attic where the Frank family hid for two years during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, Baker still vividly recalls her role as Anne’s sister, Margot, seven decades earlier.
“Mr. Stevens (director) wanted us to be there most of the time even if we weren’t in the scene because it was claustrophobic and he wanted that feeling of being a family closed off,” she recalled. “He was very kind and gentle with us newcomers (and) used to give me little peppermint candies so I would be confident and less nervous before a scene. I’ll never forget getting a beautiful box of yellow roses when the filming ended, from Mr. Stevens.”
She also recalls the last time she met with Osborne. “We stayed friends until he passed away and I saw him in his apartment just two weeks before. He was in a wheelchair, and we just talked and talked. I’ve always been involved with TCM and Robert was their rockstar.”
Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery in Alabama and writes features, columns, and interviews for newspapers and magazines around the country. See https://www.getnickt.org.

On Friday, 21 June and Saturday, 22 June, the Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Health Care System (OKC VA HCS) partners with resources to kick-off the Summer PACT Act VET-Fest. This 2-day event will bring Norman-area Veterans resources and provide eligible Veterans and family members VA healthcare education, toxic exposure screening and an understanding of what the VA healthcare can offer and assisting Veterans with the VA benefits processes.
The full name of the recent legislation passed is called the Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act and was signed into law on August 10, 2022. The PACT Act is one of the largest expansions of Veteran health care programs and benefits. The PACT Act will benefit millions of Veterans spanning generations of service members from World War II, Vietnam, Gulf War and more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. If you served between conflicts, don’t be afraid to come in and find out if you qualify. While serving, if Veterans were exposed to toxins (such as agent orange, burn pits, burning oil fields, asbestos, etc.), they-and their survivors-should qualify for benefits.
The OKC VA is hosting this 2-day Summer VET Fest to roll out PACT Act resources and provide VA assistance such as eligibility teams, VA ID Cards, medical experts to provide toxic exposure screening (TES), file claims with the Muskogee Benefits Office, or with the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs or other Veteran Service Organizations present.
On Friday, 21 June and Saturday, 22 June, 2024, Norman-area Veterans are encouraged to come to the Norman Reserve Center, located at 4000 Thunderbird Street, Norman, OK, 73069 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. If you are unable to attend, please stay connected to the OKC VA Facebook page to stay plugged into the upcoming PACT Act events. If you are a Veteran in the Oklahoma City catchment area and you cannot attend the Norman, OK event, don’t worry, the OKC VA has multiple PACT Act Community Engagements throughout the year. If you can’t make this event, come out to one of our outreach events near you. The OKC VA wants to help Veterans get started in their VA healthcare journey and the Veterans Benefits Association wants to help you file claims. You don’t want to miss out on the PACT Act assistance before it is too late.

Daily Living Centers Celebrates 50 Years!

To Our Incredible DLC Community,

2024 marks the celebration of Daily Living Centers’ 50th anniversary. For the past 50 years, we have served vulnerable adults with life saving adult day services, and provided crucial respite to their caregivers. As a nonprofit organization, we are able to meet these needs because of the support of our community. Our incredible community partners, caregivers, donors, volunteers, staff, and board have changed the lives of those that we serve.
For our 50th anniversary, we are asking for one-time donations of $50. You would be surprised at just how much impact will be made by your $50 gift.
Examples of what your $50 donation can provide: • 5 Showers • 10 Individualized Activities • 2 Cooking Classes • 6 Door to Door Transportation Trips • 10 Meals • And More!
Below is a link to donate to Daily Living Centers in celebration of our 50th anniversary. All donations are tax deductible. Checks can be mailed to: PO Box 608 Bethany, OK 73008.
We are so thankful for your support.

Forrest Landis

(Right) 100 years old. WWII Veteran Forrest Landis of Tulsa joined the Navy right out of high school. His ship the SS Kendrick, a destroyer, was hit by a torpedo in the Mediterranean Sea & returned to the US for repair. He was awarded several Medals. He worked as a research chemist until his retirement.

Barbee Ann Brown

(Left) 100 years old. Barbee Ann Brown of Tulsa celebrated with lots of family and friends. Barbee and her husband Jack married on her birthday in 1943. She attended Will Rogers High School and the University of Tulsa. Barbee has been a member of Memorial Baptist Church for 68 years and PEO service group for over 50 years!

Bill Lavel Stanfield

(Right) 100 years old. Bill Lavel Stanfield of Tulsa was born February 29, 1924. He enlisted in the Army at age 16 & served in WWII, Korea & Vietnam with the Company A-160th Engineer Combat Platoon. During WWII, he served in the Pacific Theatre, Hawaii, European Theatre, France and Germany & England, Normandy.

Sidney Horn

(Right) 100 years old. Sidney Horn of Sand Springs will be 101 on May 10 so we celebrated today and honored her as a Centenarian! She wore one of her special hats. Sidney told me she once had a collection of about 30 hats and wore one every Sunday to church.

If you know of a Centenarian you would like to honor visit Centenarians of Oklahoma
https://centenariansok.com/

by Jake Strickbine

A firefighter injured battling recent firefighters took his next step toward full recovery today as he is discharged from Valir Rehabilitation Hospital in Oklahoma City.
Ronald Vasquez II, 21, was cheered by hospital staff and members of the Oklahoma City Fire Department as he left the hospital this morning.
“We are so proud to have been able to assist Mr. Vasquez on the road to recovery,” said Marni Leahy, Vice President, People and Culture at Valir Health. “He has a lot of work ahead of him, but he is highly motivated, works hard and remains determined to return to firefighting. We are excited to watch his continued progress toward that goal.”
Vasquez was all smiles as he left Valir Rehabilitation hospital and received a handshake from each Oklahoma City firefighter present.
“He got injured fighting the wildfires last month and like I said, for us, it is a privilege to be here, show him support, show him that we’re there for him and to honor him for the work that he did in serving Oklahoma,” said Capt. John Chenoweth, assistant public information officer for the Oklahoma City Fire Department and among those on hand to wish Vasquez well as he left the rehabilitation hospital.
Vasquez, who suffered a fractured pelvis in the accident several weeks ago, remains in a wheelchair as he is not yet able to put weight on his legs. When he first started therapy at Valir, Vasquez says he was surprised at how much strength he had lost in his muscles.
“I lifted my leg and put it back down and they just started quivering. And that’s something I’ve never had happen. It shocked me at first,” Vasquez said. “But they explained to me what it was and why it’s happening. And that’s just my goal – to try and get stronger every day now.”
He has done just that, working hard with the team at Valir Rehabilitation Hospital to build strength, especially in his upper body and core.
“Early on, we did a lot of mobility work bedside and then activities of daily living, like getting dressed again without putting weight through the legs. Lots of strength exercises. He’s going to have to have really strong shoulders to help him move without standing or pivoting just yet,” explained Rebecca Henry, OT, a member of Vasquez’s therapy team at Valir. “He’s been an absolute dream patient. He’s motivated and very focused on his goals. He’s going to push himself and he’s not going to give up.”
Vasquez, a firefighter with the Greenleaf Volunteer Fire Department in rural Oklahoma, was injured when the brush pumper on which he was riding collided with a tanker in hazy, smokey conditions while fighting recent wildfires in Oklahoma. He sustained a broken pelvis and underwent surgery at a local hospital before coming to Valir Rehabilitation Hospital for therapy.
“I knew that I’d have to put in a little bit of work, but not near this much,” Vasquez said. “I’m glad they push me and want me to give them my best. And that’s all I strive to give them.”
The next stop on his road to recovery is home and outpatient therapy. It will still be several more weeks until Vasquez is able to put weight on his legs.
“It’s a long road, but it’s going to be well worth it,” Vasquez added.
Prior to the accident, Vasquez was working toward a goal of becoming a full-time firefighter with the Alva Fire Department. Alva Fire Chief Brian Miller and Oklahoma City Fire Chief Richard Kelley worked together to ensure the young man had a proper fire department send off today.
Vasquez says the accident, the care he received in the field and from the team of medical professionals and therapists in Oklahoma City, and the support he’s gotten from his firefighting colleagues, friends, family and community have only strengthened his desire to be a full-time firefighter.
“It’s inspired me,” Vasquez said with his trademark smile. “You get a different perspective because you know what’s going to happen. But then being the victim and seeing it all play out. I mean everybody’s running around, but they know what job they have to do and they’re all working to get the same thing done. It’s like a well-oiled machine. I want to be a cog in that machine.”
A fund has been established to help with the young man’s medical expenses. Donations may be sent to: The Ron Vasquez II Love Fund, Alva State Bank, 518 College Avenue, Alva, OK 73717

The OKC VAHCS relaunched the Medical Foster Home (MFH) program in 2023. The MFH program partners with caregivers in the community who are interested in welcoming Veterans to live with them in their private, residential home. The caregiver provides 24-hour care to the Veteran, who otherwise is no longer able to live independently in their own home.
The first MFH opened in October 2023, appropriately called House of Heroes. This home is now serving all female Veterans and providing these women a safe home with 24-hour care and without it, they may have otherwise been forced to transition into an institutional setting.
“What is beautiful about this House of Heroes home is that women from different life experiences and backgrounds have come together to support one another and because of this, our Veterans are being cared for in the most honorable way,” said Lindsey Altmiller-Hester, OKC VAHCS Medical Foster Home Coordinator. “Seeing our Veterans thrive in a home, enjoying things that are important to them, and having their needs met, that is why I do this.”
The first home consists of an all women team of Caregivers, they support the other Caregivers in the program by providing various health care support services to team members and all are working together to serve our Veterans who served. Often female Veterans can feel overlooked and put into situations and programs in-between male Veterans. This unique all-female home provides a place to feel comfortable, thrive and their healthcare needs are molded to their unique challenges.
The House of Heroes has cared for a Veteran that was once sleeping on the streets and is now thriving in their own bedroom and enjoying being supported by someone who cares about their wellbeing, has compassion and empathy to their situation. These Veterans’ health care needs are supported by the OKC VAHCS Home Based Primary Care (HBPC).
HBPC is a unique program that brings primary care to a Veteran in their home, including the MFH.
“It has been really rewarding to watch her transformation as she is getting the care she needs, the follow-up and continuity of care she needs” said Dr. Calli Landes, APRN. “She has this whole village of people in the MFH and with HBPC caring for her health and mental health. I think it helps her relax and feel safe and cared for.”
Dr. Landes shared that Veteran’s and families are often thankful for the care they receive in HBPC. HBPC is truly carrying out President Lincoln’s promise to care for those who served in our nation’s military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors. MFH and HBPC is a unique partnership to provide care for these Veterans.
“As coordinator of this program, we have an obligation to find the right match. The MFH Coordinator finds a caregiver, either male or female, in the community who is willing to take a Veteran into their private/residential home, provide 24-hour supervision, and as needed, personal assistance with day-to-day tasks. MFH follows CRC requirements for oversight, recruitment, and inspection of these homes that we are placing our Veterans.” Altmiller-Hester said, “These factors facilitate matching suitable MFHs with the greater complexity of these Veterans, achieving safe and therapeutic care in a small personal home setting. MFH provides an alternative to a nursing home, in a person’s home and a benefit is that it is at less than half the cost of institutional care.”
OKC VA HCS has sites in both OKC and Lawton and seeking caregivers who may be interested in welcoming a Veteran to live with them and provide that Veteran with 24-hour care. With an emphasis on supporting our Veterans in their communities, OKC VA is moving forward and aggressively seeking homes willing to foster our aging Veterans during this stage in their lives. This program aligns with the VA Secretary McDonough’s support for home care options for aging Veterans and OKC VA has relaunched this project to support this initiative and give qualified Veterans options to traditional nursing homes.
Interested caregivers can call the OKC VA MFH coordinator at 405-456-5484 or 405-208-9498 or email lindsey.altmiller-hester@va.gov.
For more information about geriatrics and extended care, please click the link below or visit the VA website
https://www.va.gov/geriatrics/ or visit https://www.va.gov/.

Story and photo by Van Mitchell, Staff Writer

Don Conry and his sister Kathleen Conry have both been involved in serving others, but had done so from different cities.
Don, 80, had been involved with Mobile Meals in Dallas, and Kathleen, 77, was involved with her church in Manhattan, New York.
For the past three months, the siblings teamed together to serve meals for the Logan County Council on Aging in Guthrie.
Logan County Council on Aging is a non-profit organization that assists the Logan County Aging Service with funds for home-bound meals and bus purchases for its transportation program.
“I was involved in the Meals on Wheels in Dallas, not as much as I am today, but one or two times a week for maybe half a year,” Don said. “And when we moved up here to Guthrie, I would always bring my dog over here to Highland Park to walk. One day I saw the (Logan County Council on Aging) building and I came in and I found out they were doing Meals on Wheels. And I said, “Do you need any help? They said, “Yes, can you come one day a week?” Now, I do it five days a week because they’re really hurting for volunteers.”
Kathleen added “I’m a member of a church there, which is where I started doing a lot of volunteer work through our winter clothing closet and other kinds of missions for people in Manhattan. When Don and (wife) Lawana moved here, it was the obvious place to come visit when I got tired of New York. So, that’s happened a few times, and I’ve been here for three months this stint. That’s why we teamed up to do the weekly runs to all of our clients here for Logan County Council on Aging, which is great.”
Kathleen and Don grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, where their father was a surgeon and an obstetrician, and their mother was a tap dancer. Their parents had five children.
“They met under extraordinary circumstances in Nebraska,” Kathleen said. “He was from Iowa; she was from Cleveland. She happened to be there and he happened to be going to medical school. There was this terrible accident. My mother was in the hospital and he was the attending surgeon in the ER. That’s how they met, fell in love, and nature took over.”
Don graduated college from Miami of Ohio with a business degree. He was also a member of the Navy ROTC. He is a Vietnam War veteran.
“I got a commission when I graduated and went back to Cleveland after I got out of college,” he said. “I got my orders, and they shipped me over to the Philippines, and got aboard my ship off the coast of Vietnam. I was in the Vietnam War (serving) in communications.”
After the war, Don returned to Cleveland, and got a job with Polaroid Corporation, where he worked for 15 years. His first posting was in Oklahoma City.
“This was my first job assignment. They sent me to be the Polaroid rep for the whole state of Oklahoma, and the panhandle of Texas, and a little bit of Arkansas,” he said. “I was the Polaroid rep here for five years, and married my wife, Lawana, who’s from Ardmore. And, then when I was transferred to Dallas. We lived for about 49 years in the same house in Plano, Texas.”
Don and his wife moved to Guthrie to be closer to their niece and her family.
“About four years ago, we found a house here that we liked,” he said. “We have a niece named Robin who has lived here for about seven or eight years, and she always wanted us to move up. We wanted to have a relative that could be close to us as we get older.”
Kathleen graduated from high school in 1966. She said her parents instilled the importance of music/theater in their children.
“I sort of got the mantle,” she said. “I went to ballet class when I was five. Tap class, jazz class, piano lessons. Don is a really good pianist. We have a lot of musical background.”
Kathleen said the allure of theater moved her to New York City.
“By the time I graduated from high school, I didn’t consider myself a good enough student to last through college, but I knew I had enough experience and had skills, I had a skill set for musical theater to go to Broadway,” she said. “I moved to New York in 1966 and I was on Broadway in 1968, did two Broadway shows, and hundreds of other shows. I then became a choreographer and a director. I retired 14 years ago. I still live in New York City. I have stayed in theater my whole life, even in retirement, I stay involved by doing a lot of mentoring.”
Kathleen and Don grew up in a Cleveland neighborhood called Clifton Park, that included residents Vernon Stouffer, owner of Stouffer’s, and members of the Glidden (Paint) family.
The siblings later moved to an upscale apartment complex called “the Winton Place,” where one of their neighbors was George Steinbrenner, owner of the New York Yankees.
“He was always extremely kind and just gracious,” Kathleen said.
Don and Kathleen said that they are doing more than just delivering meals. They are helping others, which is a lesson they learned from their parents.
“This is a wonderful ministry,” Don said. “So many people need help and they need to engage with somebody every day. Kathy and I do more than just delivering meals. We meet people that have needs, and we try to help them.”
Kathleen concurred.
“I think we learned from our parents post-World War II and being raised in an upper middle class neighborhood that you can’t just enjoy success. If you have any kind of good health, monetary success or career success, you have to give back. If you don’t give back, it’s kind of a waste of your energy.”

story and photo by James Coburn, Staff Writer

Iris Memory Care is proud to be the premier home-like Assisted Living Community in Oklahoma City to specialize in Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care. At Iris Memory Care, they believe that their expertise and specialized knowledge of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia combined with their heartfelt compassion creates the best quality of life for loved ones. From the moment of walking through their front door, you’ll feel like you’re in a single-family home complete with familiar sights, soothing sounds, and homey aromas, providing an easier transition for your loved one. For respite care, short-term stays, or long-term stays, Iris Memory Care welcomes you and your loved one with compassion, dignity, and all the comforts of home.
Suzy Masters, LPN takes pride in her work at Iris Memory Care. She wears many hats as she oversees the CMA’s and the residents. “I adore my position here. It is my compassion, radiating a warmth that embraces all who enter. I am truly blessed with an exceptional team, each member possessing their own unique strengths,” Suzy remarked.
Suzy upholds high standards for her caregivers at Iris Memory Care. “I am impressed by the exceptional qualities each caregiver brings to our community,” she notes. “Their respect for our residents combined with their hard work and positive attitude, ensures a nurturing enviroment where everyone feels valued and at ease.” Suzy takes pride in maintaining Iris Memory Care as a comfortable home for residents, knowing the peace of mind it brings to the families. “It’s incredibly gratifying to witness the positive impact we have on their lives,” she added.
Growing up in Denison, Texas, Suzy began her nursing journey at Schreiner University in Kerrville, Texas. Later, relocating to Oklahoma, Suzy’s decision to pursue nursing stemmed from a deeply personal experience. “When I was just 8 years old, my father was involved in a motorcycle accident that changed our lives,” she recalls. “Spending countless hours at the hospital, witnessing the care and the compassion provided by the nurses, they became my heroes. Despite the tragedy of my father’s passing at the age of 11, I was inspired by the nurses’ dedication to healing and helping others. From that moment I knew I wanted to follow in their footsteps and make a difference in people’s lives, even at a young age,” Suzy reflected.
Iris Memory Care proudly operates 4 thriving locations in Oklahoma; Edmond, Northwest OKC, Southwest OKC and Nichols Hills. “We currently have forty-two cherished residents calling our community home. Our dedicated caregivers pour their hearts into providing top-notch care tailored to each individual. As we build strong bonds with our residents, we strive to create a family like atmosphere, with deep connections that grow with each passing day. Whether our residents have been with us for years or are new arrivals we ensure their days are filled with engaging activities, and we make every holiday a memorable celebration. Welcoming family and visitors is a cherished part of our daily routine, enhancing the warmth and vibrant of our community.”
Suzy expressed deep affection for her job, emphasizing how much she enjoys every moment spent with the residents. “I eagerly anticipate each workday, knowing that I’ll have the opportunity to engage with the residents. Listening to their stories, witnessing their smiles and sharing in their joy fills me with a profound sense of fulfillment. It’s an exchange of care and compassion that enriches both their lives and mine,” Suzy explained.
When asked for advice for those considering a career in the medical field, Suzy emphasized the importance of a genuine desire and compassion for others. “Its crucial to have a true compassion for making a difference in people’s lives,” she noted. “Starting at the ground level as a CNA for a few years can provide invaluable insight into whether this path is right for you. Let this guide your decision about pursuing further education in nursing. Entering nursing school can open up a world of opportunities for growth and exploration,” Suzy advised, her work reflecting both wisdom and encouragement for aspiring healthcare professionals.
Outside of work, Suzy enjoys spending quality time with her husband and 3 grown children.

For more information about Iris Memory Care visit https://www.irisseniorliving.com/.