My formal education began in 1985 at the age of 45. My first career having been as a homemaker and mother of two, my early work career centered around the human service field as a paraprofessional. I began studying for a career in social work in the local community college in1985 to "test the waters" of learning. That led to a four year degree at SUNY Binghamton and then to a Master's of Social Work degree from Syracuse University. Becoming a Hospice Social Worker was a natural fit since I had studied, extensively, the subject of Death and Dying.
I have worked for Hospice of Central New York (http://www.hospice-pca.org/) for the past eleven years. For the first nine years I served as a direct care social worker, visiting patients and families in their homes. For the past two years I have had the extraordinary experience of working as the Senior Volunteer Program Specialist in this agency where I recruit, train, and supervise a corps of volunteers numbering around 114 men and women of varying ages.
My leisure time is spent enjoying my five grandchildren, gardening, watercolor painting, and planning for my next trip to Russia .
