Emily Celebrates 10 Years as an Employee—and 29 with Northwest Center

​Emily’s coworkers surprised her on her 10th anniversary with a meeting with her idol Lauren Potter.

​Emily has been an integral part of the team at Northwest Center Kids for ten years, but she’s been part of the Northwest Center family for much longer than that.
 
Emily, an aide at Northwest Center Kids at Chinook, attended the school as a child. In fact, a framed photo of Emily as a baby still hangs at one of our schools today. 
 
“Right out of high school, Emily started her career at Northwest Center,” says her mom Marilyn. “It was a godsend because it fit her perfectly and felt like home since she attended there as a child."

​“It’s like she never left,” Marilyn continues. “She grew up with a couple of teachers there and came home to family.” 
 
In her job as an aide, Emily ensures the kids’ nap mats are clean and then sets them up for the day. She also prepares the motor room and classrooms before school starts for the day.
 
“This is my dream job and I’m just so happy that I’m working here at a place where I literally grew up in,” says Emily. “My coworkers are fun to work with and it’s awesome knowing that I’m making a difference in kids’ lives on a daily basis.”
 
One more dream came true for Emily on her 10-year work anniversary when she met her all-time idol Lauren Potter, an actress with Down syndrome who was the keynote speaker at our Golden Hearts Luncheon in October. Emily’s coworkers arranged a surprise meeting with the two of them.
 
“Oh, my word, I didn’t know what to say when I first met Lauren and told her I was her biggest fan,” says Emily. “We became instant friends and I’m the luckiest girl in the world now!”
 
Emily’s parents are grateful to NWC for giving their daughter an opportunity to meet her idol and for ten years of employment.
 
“I’m glad we followed our gut to keep an open mind about our daughter’s future despite what others said to us,” Marilyn says. “We truly appreciate Northwest Center’s guidance and support and their dedication to inclusion.”