I had worked for years as an upper-level retail manager overseeing multiple stores. Around 2012, I started to think about what legacy I would leave behind and started to explore careers outside of retail. While exploring, I decided that being a social worker was exactly what I wanted to do. I remembered a hospice social worker had helped me work through my grief when my partner of 10 years passed away from cancer in 2003, and the lasting impact she had on me was exactly what I wanted to do for others. As a social worker, I focus on the whole person as opposed to what they are coming to me for help with. It is also very important for me to meet the patient where they are and ensure they know all decisions are theirs to make as I “walk’ with them through whatever issue they are dealing with. My areas of interest include mental health, grief, addiction and aging. Outside of work, I am an avid Carolina Hurricanes fan. I also love to cook, garden and spend time with my husband and our pets, Gertie and Beulah, both goldendoodles and our two torty cats, Pickles and Cinnamon.