Hi – I’m KC!
I would describe myself as a thrifty and attention-deficient Florida émigré tolerating Vermont winters. INFP. An existentialist who finds meaning in a future beyond capitalism. Glutton for novelty. Secretly rebellious.
Outside of work, I spend most of my time renovating my old 1940s cape house, scavenging for free stuff to repurpose, gardening, political work, cleaning up after my dog’s destruction sprees, and going down internet rabbit holes. I also work at the new microcinema in downtown Burlington on Saturdays, which I really enjoy–come say hi!
I’ve been with Pathways for a little over 8 years. I started as a Resident Support Staff at Soteria, dipped my toes into Development Department work, and recently moved into the Soteria House Operations Manager role, which has been an exciting growth edge for me.
A typical day varies quite a lot! When I first started in this role a few months ago, we were on the brink of our big move to the new Soteria house, which coincided with 2 weeks of dedicated staff training, so there was a lot of time spent figuring out scheduling and moving logistics.
Now I’m shifting my focus more to policies and procedures at Soteria. One of my responsibilities is to ensure we’re operating in compliance with regulations, laws, and funding requirements, so I’m working on thoroughly learning all of those systems and what we already have in place.
When I’m not in meetings or staring at documents, I get to hang out in the house with residents and coworkers, which is almost always fun, enlightening, or rewarding. I’m humbled to be trusted with a leadership position amongst such a magical group of people.
I have so many favorite memories from the time I’ve been at Pathways and, in particular, at Soteria, so I can’t pick just one. But I think this photo captures a small vignette of what is so special about Soteria. On this day, staff and residents decided to have an open mic, and one of the performances involved house manager at the time, Loren Deron, getting her hair cut while composing a poem on a typewriter and being fanned with lettuce leaves.
In a world that tries in so many ways to disappear suffering, what inspires me most about Pathways is its refusal to participate in that.
Pathways demonstrates every day a commitment to being a place where people who choose to receive services will be listened to, educated about their options, trusted that they are the experts on their own lives, and given the agency to make decisions for themselves–and where we as staff are open about our own struggles.
It is honest and human to acknowledge that we all go through challenges. I am so grateful that Pathways is a place that does not try to suppress, control, or exile these experiences, which are so often marginalized, but instead honors their importance and the power they have to strengthen our connections to ourselves and each other.
Why am I motivated to come to work today? Kathy’s cooking. Diamond’s laugh. E’s drawings. Tess’s stellar outfits. Ibnar’s gentleness when everything is going wrong. A resident’s dance moves. Hearing a former resident talk about how much of a difference Soteria made for them. Every person who comes through Soteria inspires and changes me, and that motivates me to do what I can to make sure this beautiful place continues to be available to anyone who wants to be part of it.
