National Activity & Recreation Professionals Week is January 21-28, 2024

National Activity & Recreation Professionals Week is January 21-28, 2024. This week we are focusing on Activity and Recreation Professionals working at Cornwall Manor! These employees are part of a vitally important profession that helps our residents live a life that is full of fun with meaningful activities and engagement. These dedicated team members provide a holistic and person-directed approach to the activities they plan for our residents and all are strong advocates that recreation is vital to longevity and quality of life.

Our team includes:

• Independent Living – two full-time staff: Life Engagement Coordinator and Fitness & Recreation Coordinator
• Personal Care – one full-time staff who plans activities (she’s also a certified nursing assistant)
• Health Center – six full-time and two part-time staff. We’ve profiled six of the eight staff below (two staff did not want to be recognized but you know who you are and we thank you for your service and dedication to our residents!)

Additional shout-outs! Cornwall Manor is pleased to have two additional team members that both have bachelor’s degrees in therapeutic recreation and are certified recreation therapists – Kirk Rakos, Corson Hall Personal Care Administrator and Jocelyn Shaeffer, Director of Resident Services. Kirk was the President of the Pennsylvania Therapeutic Recreation Society for many years.

Take a minute to learn some fun facts about this dedicated team and acknowledge the great work they do! We appreciate you!

Shari Showers, Life Engagement Coordinator

• How long have you worked at Cornwall Manor: 38 years
• Native of Somerset County, Pennsylvania
• Favorites: Season – Spring, Drink – Coffee, Entrée – Shrimp Scampi, Movies – Dirty Dancing, Pretty Woman
• What are you currently reading: Montana Christmas by Janet Dailey
• What do you enjoy: reading and being a grandmother to her five- and eight-year-old grandsons
• If you could learn one new skill: Interior Design
• Favorite projects at work: Cruise Week and Captains Dinner and the current Barn Quilt Project
• Three words your friends would choose to describe you: dedicated, caring and happy

Melissa Rodriguez, Fitness & Recreation Coordinator

• How long have you worked at Cornwall Manor: Since June 2022
• Degrees and certificates: Bachelors in Psychology, Certified Dementia Practitioner, Activity Director Certification
• Lives in Mt. Gretna with her husband, daughter and new goldendoodle puppy
• Hobbies and interests: birding, reading, gardening
• Favorite movie series: anything Studio Ghibli
• Professional goals: to continue to learn and provide great programs that the residents would like to have
• Valuable career advice: Take help if it is offered to you
• Laziest thing out of convivence: Asking my daughter to get my water bottle for me so I can stay snuggled up with the dog
• Checked something off bucket list: Not yet, currently working towards becoming a certified bird friendly backyard habitat
• A destination hope to go to: Alaska
• Anything else like to share: Being in the activity and recreation department is so rewarding. Seeing the smiles and passion of the residents for the activities I lead is a great feeling.

Jessica Achey, Certified Nursing Assistant & Corson Hall Personal Care Activities

• How long have you worked at Cornwall Manor: 7 years
• Degrees and certificates: certified nursing assistant (CNA) and med tech
• About Jess: married to husband Shane; two boys Austin and Jayden; grandson Brayden
• Hobbies/Interests: crocheting, reading, walking
• Favorite vacation spot: Ocean City, Maryland
• If you could have one superpower: Teleportation
• Oldest item in her closet: t-shirt from graduation that her classmates signed
• If you had to enter a talent show, what would your talent be: a ventriloquist act
• Staying up late or morning person?: staying up late! Not a morning person.
• Best perk of her job: Doing crafts and activities with the Corson residents

Jolene Schweers, Health Center Activities Supervisor
Jolene is our newest Cornwall Manor team member and oversees a staff of five full-time and two part-time employees in the Health Center to coordinate and implement activities for our skilled nursing residents.

• How long have you worked at Cornwall Manor: since December 26, 2023
• Degrees and certificates: Certified Activity Director, Certified Dementia Practitioner and Board Certified Advanced Activity Professional
• About Jolene: married and one adult son
• Hobbies/Interests: cooking, camping, spending time with family and friends. Always on the go! Life long learner
• Favorite vacation spot: Solomons, Maryland
• One fun fact many people don’t know: Jolene lived outside Frankfurt, Germany for six months
• Her morning routine: Up early – MUST have coffee; feeds her cat, Casey, chickens and one rooster
• Physical books, Kindle or audio books? Physical books – Jolene collects cookbooks but she enjoys audiobooks while in the car or on vacation
• Who do you admire? My mother. Her advice, “Put forth your best always.”
• Anything else you’d like to share? I love the arts! Photography, painting, creating crafts, creating music, traveling out west

Stacy Landis, Health Center Activities

• How long have you worked at Cornwall Manor: 28 years next month!
• Degrees and certificates: Certified Dementia Practitioner and currently taking courses to receive Activity Director Certification
• About Stacy: family oriented, music is her happiness
• Hobbies/Interests: listening to live bands, Diamond Art
• Favorite vacation spot: Ocean City, Maryland
• What did you want to be when you grew up? A lawyer or psychologist
• Why did you choose the field you are in? The opportunity to get my CNA certification got my foot in the door. I was then encouraged to apply for Activities.
• Favorite Disney character: Snow White – it’s all about the kiss.
• Biggest fashion regret: short layered tapered haircut, choker necklace
• Achievement you’re proud of: in the process of achieving my ADP/ADC certifications. Never thought I’d be doing schooling at my age!

Skyblue Cruz-Andrews, Health Center Activities

• How long have you worked at Cornwall Manor: almost a year!
• About Skyblue: a “glow-getter” following her dreams – a “glow-getter” is a powerful, driven girl who is busy achieving her top-level goal in life while maintaining a gorgeous glow inside and out
• Hobbies/Interests: scrapbooking and gaming
• Three items on your bucket list: scuba dive, see an opera, visit Paris
• Favorite movie snack: Airheads
• How do you relax: Put my feet up and watch King of Queens
• Any pets? I have three pets, but my bestest friend is my dog, Paris.
• One thing that made you smile recently: my finance surprising me with a necklace when I was having a bad day

Jessica Kline, Health Center Activities

• How long have you worked at Cornwall Manor: 29 years
• About Jessica: a local girl who loves baseball, boating and cars; married with three children and one grandson
• Hobbies/Interests: learning about stuff – music, art, genealogy, history
• Favorite vacation spot: Seneca Lake
• When you started out, what did you think your job would be at this time? A writer, editor or assistant comedian
• What professional skill do you think everyone should have? Good spelling and grammar; how to change a tire
• What TV world would you want to be part of: Jeopardy!
• Worst meal you’ve ever cooked: Duck
• Favorite family tradition: my family members get whatever they want for dinner on their birthday!
• Anything else you’d like to share: no one knows what color my eyes are

Michelle Trautman, Health Center Activities

• How long have you worked at Cornwall Manor: 30 years!
• About Michelle: married 35 years with two grown sons
• Hobbies/Interests: spending time with family and watching movies
• Favorite vacation spot: Rehoboth Beach
• First job: working in the snack bar at the swimming pool
• What keeps you motivated? My family and jobs
• If you could speak any language what would it be? Spanish
• Favorite snack food: ice cream
• Where you’d like to be in ten years: retired and spending time with husband and family

Carol Prouse, Health Center Activities

• How long have you worked at Cornwall Manor: 3 months!
• Degrees/Certifications: bachelor’s degree in biology; Registered Nurse (RN)
• About Carol: military brat, very active
• Hobbies/Interests: cattle
• Favorite vacation spot: Australia
• Favorite project you have worked on: my tractor
• Go-to morning beverage: tea
• First big splurge: first car
• Favorite gifts you have received: my engagement ring
• Favorite band when you were in middle school: ELO