Tell us a little bit about yourself: I am married with two children (boys), we have three dogs (Lab, German Shepard, and Yorkie), we own a home in Woburn (right over the Stoneham line). I spent 15 years in the Banking industry, I started as a bank teller in High School and worked my way up to AVP Branch Manager of multiple locations. My kids were getting older and needed more of my time so I decided to take a break from my banking career and work for a local company as their office manager. For the past two years I have been working with Cassidy Landscaping, I handle all their bookkeeping, appointment making and basically anything else you could possibly think of.
Tell us your “Club Story”: I started going to the Club on my 8th birthday (I couldn’t wait till I was old enough). My parents both worked full time, we were a middle class family. I would go to school and go to the Club right after school. The Club taught me what giving back was, it taught me how important it is to have a safe place to go while your parents are working. It taught me to have family outside my family.
Donna (DiVirgilio) was like a mom to me and many of my friends, she was always looking out for our well being and making sure we were well cared for. Going to the Club kept me straight, it kept me focused on the good and to keep going for the positives in my life. I had an older sibling that was “too cool for the Club” he didn’t see the value. He unfortunately got involved with the wrong group of kids, got hooked on drugs and ended up passing away at the age of 30. I look back and am forever grateful for the Club, I think that could have been me. I could have chosen that path if I wasn’t continually guided by my parents and my mentors at the Club. While we both grew up in a good home we took very different paths. I am forever grateful and always looking for ways to give back.
What word of advice would you give young girls who attend our Clubs today: Remember all the good things that happen at the Club and make sure when you are older to give back to them either financially or as a volunteer. Remember who at the Club is there with open arms to welcome you, and is a shoulder to cry on if you need it. The Club is an amazing place for kids of all ages.
