By Nicole Lemire
Site manager Colleen Lester became inspired to work with individuals with disabilities after her son was diagnosed with Polymicrogyria and Cerebral Palsy at the age of one.
She began working at BCArc shortly after, and was an employee for 10 years. After several years away, she decided to come back to the company three years ago due to her desire to help others, and an interest in working in the area of Brain Injuries. She finds the position challenging, “but I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Originally intimidated by working in a house of six men with brain injuries, Colleen soon grew to view the individuals she works with as family, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when everyone was in lockdown together.
“You have to have thick skin, but you also have to have a heart to do this.”
“We have a great team at Gamwell, we truly do,” she said. “The guys, they’re all so unique in different ways. They all inspire me to do better everyday.”
Her top priority is to make sure that everyone in the home knows that they can rely on her, and that she will do everything in her power to help them achieve their goals.
She encourages anyone who might be interested in becoming a site manager to not be intimidated, explaining that it is just a title. To her, the most important qualities for a site manager to have is to not take things personally, to have a genuine love for the work, and to show respect for the individual’s homes.
“I would hope that people who are applying would have that mentality that this is your program, take ownership of it, and to keep it a friendly environment,” she said. “You have to have thick skin, but you also have to have a heart to do this.”
“My job is not a job, it’s more than just a job to me.”
