More about me
How do you Partner with people to 'clear the path ahead'?
I assist people in clearing the path toward success by addressing challenges and navigating through them. For some it is clearing the path through the bureaucracies and institutional guidelines. For others it is clearing the way for access to the community. It may be through mobility in the home and community, transportation, employment, volunteering, or other programs to help a person integrate into the community. And for others, it may be seeking through pain and frustration to obtain hope that their situations in life have meaning.
What's your favorite thing about being an IRIS consultant?
What brings me the most joy in my work as an IRIS Consultant is seeing people overcome obstacles and barriers and be able to self-direct their lives toward success.
What past experience prepared you to become an IRIS Consultant?
My career path began while I was attending the Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) where I studied Human Services. In the summer I worked with people with disabilities at the Easter Seals Holler Park Camp. While there I secured a position as a Live-in Attendant for a man through United Cerebral Palsy. After MATC, I sought after a Bachelor of Science degree in Cross Cultural Ministries. To help pay for college, I served as a caregiver for four young people with disabilities in a group home. I also volunteered to serve in Jamaica for two summers as a Christian Minister, and one summer in the city of Detroit helping young people with life controlling addictions. After college I served three and a half years working to start a Hispanic church in the city of Milwaukee. After that, I served churches around the county as pastor or as educational director. Returning to Milwaukee, I served with the Salvation Army as a Case Manager in a homeless shelter for seven years before becoming an IRIS Consultant. Other experiences along the way have included serving as a Group Home Supervisor for troubled youth, a Supervised Visitation Worker for parents meeting with their children, Physical Education Teacher in a school, and a Volunteer Teaching Assistant to people seeking a GED. Perhaps my most important work has been as a caregiver to my elderly father who deals with the effects of stroke. It is my privilege to serve my father who had cared for me for so many years.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
In my free time, I enjoy tending my garden, reading, and keeping up on world events, getting together with family.
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