My Thanksgiving plans always include baking, from freshly baked yeast rolls served straight out of the oven to old family recipes.
My hobby is gardening. I love having plants around me wherever I am — it brings life into a room and I find them soothing.
My favorite getaway place is a little cottage that belonged to my great grandmother in Vermont. It is on the bank of a little lake and it is incredibly peaceful. It’s been a long time since I was there, but when I picture a peaceful place to relax, I picture that cottage.
The most heartwarming thank you I’ve received came after I helped a first-grade student I was teaching work through a difficult disagreement with another student. It was hard, but she was in a much better space and gave me a very unexpected thank you.
To sum up my experience working for Community Knights: It has been a privilege working for an organization that truly serves my community and goes above and beyond on a daily basis to ensure the people we support are the ones driving their own experiences.
Thankfulness begins with realizing that even when we go through times of pain, there are usually joyful memories underneath it.
My favorite event or program Community Knights organizes is our READY Program, which facilitates 6- to 8-week supported internships with local employers for high school students with disabilities.
The most surprising thing I’ve learned about the Newport News community through my work is how many programs and organizations we have that are underutilized and underfunded.
The one thing I wish more people knew about Community Knights is we are part of the community we serve. Many of our staff members have direct ties to the disability community that give us unique insights into the needs of the people we serve.
