20 years is an incredible milestone for a career, especially in this day and age when people change jobs often and the average time in a position is just over four years. We are immensely proud of these milestone employees and are pleased to bring their stories of celebration to our community!
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Lori Moss – School Counselor
Today we are thrilled to recognize Lori Moss for her 20-year Springbrook Milestone! Lori began her career at Springbrook, looking for work for a year before she was set to move. Lori experienced a heartfelt interview with a wonderful team. Lori shared, “After leaving the interview, I took some back roads to another appointment. I kept driving and driving and somehow ended up back at Springbrook. It was then that I knew that I just belonged here. It was an honor to join Springbrook as their first official school counselor.” Lori had 18 years of previous work experience as a mental health counselor before settling at Springbrook, which made her very experienced in her field. Lori goes out of her way to get to know the students and her colleagues, and has a well-earned reputation as the staff member who is always smiling, and giving a warm greeting as she passes you in the hall.
During her evenings and weekend time away from work, you may find Lori reading or writing—she’s a writer but lightheartedly admits that she needs to spend a little more time on her craft. You can also find her spending quality time with her family or grandson Max, who is her inspiration and keeps her moving forward through the not-so-great days. Lori was also excited to add that her favorite movie is Mary Poppins—and had a great reason why. “My lifetime love is Mary Poppins because Mary visits where she is needed and helps people, and encourages them to find the inner strength to make it on their own. She makes great things happen, and then she’s gone, needing nothing in return. It’s sort of like me! I have always helped people, getting them going in the right direction, and have always helped with no intention of getting anything back.” If you’ve ever had the pleasure to meet Lori, you’d know quite quickly that she embodies the values of Ms. Poppins and that kindness and passion go a long way.
Lori shares that Dr. Goldman, a Ph.D. Psychologist at Springbrook has been a valued colleague and mentor throughout her career. When Lori was an undergrad in 1979, she took Dr. Goldman’s counseling class, who at the time was her professor. Lori sat in the front of the class and received an “A” with lots of hard work. Dr. Goldman was one of her favorite Professors that introduced her to the Humanistic method of counseling. Twenty years later, when Lori started working at Springbrook, she reconnected with Dr. Goldman, who then was a Ph.D. Psychologist at Springbrook. “It must have been fate because I haven’t seen him since undergrad, and when I met him again at Springbrook, he remembered exactly who I was, that I always sat in the front of the class, and that I earned an A for the course” shared Lori. She spoke highly of Dr. Goldman and attributed him as one of the reasons she became a school counselor.
Lori’s advice for current and new Springbrook staff is simple— try to find the good in everybody and laugh with people. Humor and smiles can go a long way! Try to say hello to everyone and smile. Kindness is key, and compassion is honored. Respect, empathize and treat the students we serve with dignity. Our students not only rely on us for physical support, but thrive on our ability to believe in them, to foster independence and a “can do” attitude.
Lori’s friends, family, and colleagues will tell you she is kind, caring, dependable, and truly passionate about her work. When asked to share some of the things she enjoys about Springbrook, Lori happily answered, “The dedication of staff to always keep trying with the students is something I enjoy. If there are “road obstacles,” we always figure out how to encourage the students and make it work as a team. Springbrook never looks at how much time it takes. They keep going at the pace that is good for the student—it’s not them or us, it’s WE. I feel like I made some great connections here and a lifetime of friends. Every person here has a love for the people we serve.” Lori’s kindness, passion, and positive attitude are inspiring. Congratulations, Lori, on your 20-year Milestone!