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Meet Team ELA
BECCA ZAJLER
Recreation Manager for ELA Seven years with NSSRA, four years with ELA.
What is your favorite ELA event? My favorite program at ELA is gardening. I don’ t have the greenest thumb and I admire the hard work the ELA participants put into their garden plot each year. They pick out the plants, take care of them weekly and make healthy snacks with what they grow in the garden!
What experience have you learned the most from, and what did you learn? I have learned the most from watching the participants use each other’ s strengths. If we play off of each other’ s strengths, it gives us fulfillment and helps us all to work better together.
Coffee order? Soy latte. Favorite holiday? Thanksgiving. There’ s nothing better than being around family and having a buffet of food and desserts! Strangest thing you ' ve ever eaten? I once ate a cricket as a part of the City Chase( a scavenger huntlike race in Chicago).
NIKI CUTTELL
Recreation Specialist for Adult Day Programs With ELA since March 2017. Learn more about Niki on page 14.
Coffee order? Not a coffee drinker. Favorite movie? Moulin Rouge. I know all the lines and I cry every time.
To learn more about ELA, flip back to page 10. In short, ELA is a year-round adult day program, Monday- Friday, for adults ages 22 and older with developmental disabilities. The staff at ELA are an incredible team, keeping everything running smoothly and successfully for the nearly twenty participants each day.
Between daily lesson plans, outings, social and fitness schedules and a slew of special events, ELA staff are constantly busy, constantly playing, constantly problem-solving and always putting participants, both their well-being and success, first. With a team of ten staff and two dedicated volunteers, some brand new and some with the program for years, they have truly become an exceptional part of # teamnssra.
Without further ado...
Meet Team ELA
Favorite holiday? Thanksgiving, because there is no pressure of gifts. Everyone just enjoys the company and stuffs their faces. Strangest thing you ' ve ever eaten? Chocolatecovered crickets.
CRISTINA HUGHES
Site Coordinator Five years with ELA.
What is your favorite ELA event? The ELA Family BBQ.
What is your favorite memory at ELA? We went indoor rock climbing for guys afternoon out. For most of the participants it was their first time rock climbing so it was cool to be a part of something they ' ve never done before. Also, I got Jamie to put on ice skates and roller skates and try skating!
What experience have you learned the most from, and what did you learn? I can ' t think of just one experience but I ' ve learned on multiple occasions that even when the activity / outing may be stressful or hard on me or the other staff, it ' s definitely worth it when the participants have fun or get to experience something for the first time.
Coffee order? I don ' t drink coffee. Favorite movie? Juno. Favorite holiday? Fourth of July.
ROBIN GADIENT
Program Instructor Three years with ELA.
What is your favorite ELA event? Any dance. The Valentine’ s dance this year was really fun! I really enjoyed setting up the photo booth area with Joey and dancing with Chris.
What is your favorite memory at ELA? From this year, probably the outing to the fire station. Everyone really enjoyed it, and it was awesome to see them all clean the fire engine and interact with the firemen.
Coffee order? Hot and black. Favorite movie? Elf. Favorite holiday? Thanksgiving.
AMBER PIERCE
Program Instructor Two years with ELA.
What is your favorite ELA event? I love the dances! It ' s so much fun to see all the participants get together with friends. The looks on their faces are always priceless. You can tell they ' re really having fun and it makes the job so worthwhile.
What is your favorite memory at ELA? One of my favorite memories was the first time Jamie hugged me. It took us a long time and a lot of patience to reach that point. It stands out as one of the best memories because it felt like such an accomplishment!
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Register online at register. nssra. org.