ALLEN COUNTY, OH (WLIO) - This month's OhioMeansJobs Student Employee of the Month is Abby Cover, a Shawnee High School senior who works part-time as a nurse aide.
Despite her busy schedule volunteering at both her church and helping teachers at Maplewood Intermediate School, Abby Cover finds the time to keep high grades and be a quality employee at Shawnee Manor.
"I have about 26 residents in my hallway that I usually work with and it's a lot of just managing your time because you want the best care for each resident, and you just have to help budget and you allot the right time," Cover explained.
"She comes to work when she's scheduled, I think that is something that is wonderful that she excels at. When she's here she's happy, she takes her time with the residents and talks to them and communicates with them. She makes them feel like they're a person," added her supervisor Jennifer Brinkman, the director of nursing at Shawnee Manor.
This experience gives her a head start on learning about the field before college, and the skills she's learned at work, like keeping detailed charts for residents and time management, are already being put to use.
"That is one of, I think, the biggest lessons that our high schoolers have to learn. How to balance their activities if they're working and a job? She just has worked really hard to make sure she stays organized. When she's in the classroom she's not afraid to ask questions, she participates, and she just shows up every day ready to give her best efforts," explained Abby Wood, Cover's school counselor at Shawnee.
Abby's job coach from OhioMeansJobs works with her on skills like resume building and has been able to help pin down her career goals. She plans to study nursing at Bluffton University, then one day work with children or in the delivery room. Though she has her sights set on caring for different patients one day, working in geriatrics has made her even more certain of her future in healthcare
"I'm right with the residents so I get to listen to their funny stories, and sometimes they surprise me for the good, and sometimes it's kind of sad, but really getting to know the residents and listening to their stories helps me love the career in general," Cover continued.
