Facility Partner Spotlight - Denise Cruz
The contacts at our facility partners contribute greatly to the success of our programming. The work they do before, during and after we're there is incredibly touching . One of our contacts at Ferncliff Manor. revealed to us that she has been working there for 33 years. Here's a little bit of her journey in her own words.
“Hello my name is Denise Cruz and I am a teacher for the S.A.I.L at Ferncliff School. I started working at the Ferncliff Manor residential facility in March of 1992 as a child care worker as part of my internship from Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry. The plan was to work there for three months to pass my two Psychology courses then move on. All was going well as I was completing my course work but within those three months I became too attached to a medically fragile student who wasn’t expected to exceed his teen years. My classmate from Mercy quickly left when the semester was done, however I was so attached to the student and other children there that I couldn’t leave. Months turned into years and the student I was super attached to surpassed his life expectancy, graduated and moved closer to his father who was always there for him.
I’ve been officially teaching over 15 years and an employee of Ferncliff for 33 years so far. Within that time, I’ve had the pleasure of truly bonding with a variety of students, their families and even had consent from social workers and courts to bring students home for visits and holidays. As I reflect on the years and all of the children and families I have met and spent time with I can’t help but thank God for having them in my life. My experiences with everyone I have encountered are my true blessings. Yes I may have started off with other plans in life and yes I may have spent most of my life and career working and caring for the children of Ferncliff but that’s ok. I am right where I am supposed to be and I am truly grateful for my experiences, wisdom, compassion and love I have given and received with the Ferncliff population.
My best memories of Only Make Believe was the anticipation our students had prior to your visits. We enjoyed it when you had performances outside. My favorite parts were your theme song and the performance when you had our students walking the plank (during "RICK SPACEY: SPACE DETECTIVE) but I have quite a few pictures of them smiling as they walked the plank. Thank you again for all you have done for so many of us.”