Shirley Vassar feels like she’s at home when she’s working with the public. It glows on her, just like her other half. As the old saying, “It’s the key to my heart.” It describes her in one sentence. One day, I visited her job and as she pranced around it was just amazing to see how the elderly people lit up. She never leaves anyone out; even the people with cancer and Alzheimer’s disease have a terrific time with her. She steps into the room and she has this distinctive attitude that you feel welcome right away. She always has open arms and she takes the role of a counselor. I sat in and saw that they felt very comfortable while talking to her. I asked one of the residents how they felt about Mrs. Vassar, and their response was, “She’s like a daughter, I always wanted. Plus, she helps me get through the day and some to look forward to the next day.” From watching and taking notes, Shirley Vassar is a lady who encourages others, very passionate about her job, and believes in a prosperous future with her job.
Shirley works overtime often through the weekdays and even work on weekends without pay. I interviewed her during her lunch break in her working environment, which meant that part of the interview happened in the lobby, her office, and walking around the building. Her lunch breaks are ten minutes long because she stays busy with the residents to keep them stimulated. In my personal opinion, she’s a kind beautiful young lady and has experienced so much in life. No one would expect some of the things she been through but she is very wise. She is in her forty’s and talks as a seventy year old lady from experience. Shirley is not tall but she has a great seasonable fashion. She has long coal-black hair that makes her natural beauty stand out. She is down to earth, open-minded, and caring so there’s no choice but to love her. She knows her job best and expresses all her ideas in a brilliant way. However, if she comes up with an idea or a task, she makes sure she gives a hundred percent. This is what I love about her the most because of her drive for success and drill for improvement.
First off, we had a general conversation about her day. I explained why I wanted to interview her and why I chose her. I responded, “I always looked up to you, you just have that energetic spirit and you know how to deal with things in a reasonable matter. You are very professional and very awesome at what you do.” As she talked on about her day and daily schedule, her eyes started to glow with a glare. I could tell she was ecstatic about her job and performance. She envisioned everything all over to me. She finished telling me about her day and started telling me why she ended up where she is at today and why that choice.
Shirley told me she changed jobs four times because it was her goal to work with all ages. She started to go in details with her steps. She went from elementary education, worked with middle school, with high school, and then with people of the community. Her final destination is now working with senior citizens. As I asked more questions, I figured out that was the goal she set for herself and not just where she ended. She’s has a busy schedule but it has given her a different outlook at life. She stated, “Working in this field is a reward and an advantage because I have grown over a period of time as a person. I have learned to be more giving, patient, and understanding towards those who are aging in life.
I asked Shirley about her interests, has she reached a breaking point, and is she passionate about her job? Her opinion is that you have to love working with people and adore their presence. Although, she enjoys working with people, she made me realize as you get older in life you find yourself needing more help from people. She believes that being there for people is very rewarding. However, she had this optimistic glow when she said, “I get a natural high from what I do.” Her goal is for each senior citizen to reach their common goal each day, even if it’s just putting a smile on their face. Like the old saying, “Laughter is the best medicine.” As I looked at her posture and structure I noticed she had more inner strength than outer. That gave me a clue that she never give up and thrived off their energy. She discussed how she spends a lot of her time there. Even though she gets off at five, she will stay overtime to give a helping hand. It was a warm feeling in my heart when she stated, “There are not just the people I work with on a daily basis, and they are my extended family.”
She told me sometimes, if it takes moving to another town for a job, do what’s best. She has experienced this twice from Yazoo to now Greenville. She was working at Continue Care and they downsized their corporation. She ends up laid-off from there and had to look for another job. She kept going and had faith in her dream job was coming. She looked at it as everything happen for a reason and that it was her blessing. She got hired at the Wellington Assistant Living and she has been enjoying it to the fullest. Her outlook about where she is at today is because of the good lord, having faith, and all of her jobs in the past prepared her for where she’s working now. She truly feels she is living her dream and accepts every obstacle or tragic that came along with her success.
Even though, she went to school for Social Degree in Human Resource Management for two years, she is happy and it was her choice. I look at it as do what make you happy in life because your happiness is what matters the most in the end. I ended the interview asking about her happiness, any changes, or even any future plans. She is happy and pleased with her life. She has no more frustrated nights. She has a better teamwork and supportive team. She agrees that everyone need improvements but overall everything is great. She plans on staying with the company and will like to grow with the company. Afterwards, she ended saying, “I plan on one day training someone for this job as an executive.” I enjoyed our interview and I liked her determination about her goals she accomplished and future goals. I told her thanks for her time and an outline of her life. I will remember this conversation for the rest of my life because it was a privilege to have this conversation. Plus, she is my role model and I value her opinion.