I moved to Niagara Falls in 1987.
I drove by the OU1 building frequently, and I saw Opportunities Unlimited, and I thought it would be a great place to work. I had no idea what kind of job it was, but I applied anyway. I was 20 years old. I was hired originally in September of 1987, and I worked until I went on maternity leave in 1993 and came back in 1995, working part-time. I held many positions, from being a direct care professional, a med liaison, a program instructor, and I also worked for a short time at day services, in which the room I was in was called Group 7. But residential has always been my niche.
I went on to be a site supervisor after graduating from Niagara County Community College. I was even a recreation coordinator at our Day Services program in Niagara Falls for a year. That was a great job! We even made it to the Special Olympics. Then again, residential was the place to be for me, and I spent the last 12 years-plus at Sy Road.
I got to see all of the individuals who were once young like me, and we grew old together. I left New York for two months in 2020 and moved to Colorado, not really planning on coming back. Well, here I am.
I returned to Sy Road for a few years, and now I’m working as a Med Transport. I get to see everyone I have met through all the years I’ve worked here. It’s hard for me to say I have known almost all of our individuals in the North half of my life. Brings a tear to my eye.
I have had a lot of memorable times. I was lost in Colorado, and not being at Intandem after all of these years created a void. If I didn’t leave the agency for other adventures, I would have been here for a total of 38 years. The times I left and came back made it seem like I never left. It was like meeting up with a good friend and picking up where we left off.
Karen L. Smith