For the month of March our Homegrown Hero is Nicole Iannarone, President Cornerstone Behavioral Services, LLC. We caught up with her to know her story about her career and how her working routine has changed since the pandemic started. We thank Nicole for all her efforts and for inspiring our club with her acts. This year’s initiative includes giving $1,000 to a charity of our Homegrown Hero’s choice, and for this month, Nicole selected AHRC Nassau.
Tell me about your career and what inspires you every day?
Working with children with disabilities has always been a passion for me. I have family diagnosed with Autism, and as my awareness grew, I realized the tremendous need for services for individuals with disabilities. I firmly believe that no one is unteachable or unreachable. When we struggle with meeting goals and making progress we need to reflect on our behaviors as teachers. I have seen such amazing growth with all of my clients. I consider myself blessed to be a part of each of their lives and watch them grow, develop, learn, and progress each and every day.
How much have your job duties changed since the pandemic started?
The pandemic has changed much of the way the world operates. Initial struggles surrounded providing remote learning and engaging our students in an online platform. Currently, we are working on transitions, wearing masks, finding means to socialize and work on social skills while socially distancing, and at times anxiety surrounding leaving the home. Our programs are always changing to meet the individual needs of our clients. The pandemic has made us all re-evaluate the ways we teach and has taught us to be more creative than ever with integrating technology into our sessions.
What’s the biggest lesson/s you’ve learned during this time period?
The biggest lesson I have learned is also something I hold near to my heart. No man is on an island, we can not operate alone. Progress and success take a nation, a team working collaboratively is the best way to guarantee success. During the pandemic, professionals came together in a way like never before. Resources were shared, dialogues were open, and cross training became the norm. I would like to see this kind of collaboration become commonplace in our field.
