There’s a quiet but important success story happening at Valley View Gardens, a story that began with a simply stated desire to do more, to learn more, and to be more. The success came about through tenacity, trust, and recognition of talent.
Tierre Thornton says that very early on in her role as Executive Director at Valley View Gardens, she was approached by a young woman named Takeshia, a caregiver who expressed a desire to move forward and attain her LVN certificate. Takeshia had been at Valley View Gardens for some time, but hadn’t felt comfortable expressing this desire until she met Tierre and the new Executive Director asked, “How can I help in your success?” Tierre describes Takeshia as “a quiet yet methodical” caregiver with a tenacity and determination to succeed that was humbling to watch. She encouraged Takeshia to use that tenacity to meet the goals she had set for herself.
Tierre and Takeshia developed steps to follow toward her goal of becoming a Licensed Vocational Nurse, with Takeshia quickly becoming a resource for training new care associates as well as being promoted to a Med Tech position. Takeshia, who has been at Valley View Gardens since 2009, shares that she worked as many shifts at Valley View Gardens as she could while finishing her last semester and sitting for her board exams to become an LVN. She says she was frustrated and disappointed when she didn’t pass her first test, but again she looked to Tierre for motivation and Tierre “gave her a push” to try again. That push, and her determination, fueled her next attempt. She was licensed in May.
Takeshia states that working with seniors at Valley View Gardens has been a privilege for her; she understands the needs of her residents and expresses that “you become family when you care for a resident. It means a lot to the elderly when caregivers truly care about their daily lives.”
While Takeshia doesn’t know exactly where her future in nursing will lead her, she does know that she has the skills to succeed as well as a solid foundation of support at Valley View Gardens, thanks to a mentor who listened to her goals and helped create a roadmap to success. Tierre, who says that Takeshia is a ”rock star” for her dedication and trust in the process, credits the culture of talent recognition at Senior Lifestyle for giving them both the tools to ensure success.
Congratulations to Takeshia!