Events & News

Staff Spotlight: Nicole Smolko-Jaser

Summary

“Seeing residents light up at a new program or a new piece of information I share with them is very rewarding to me. I love seeing residents engaged, doing things with their hands, and thinking through activities at a pace that is right for them.” - Nicole Smolko-Jaser

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If you have ever set foot in The Courtyard at Youville Place, you are probably acquainted with Nicole Smolko-Jaser. Nicole is often at the center of action at The Courtyard. As Life Enrichment Coordinator, she organizes daily programs, many of which she designs and leads herself. If she’s not in the middle of leading or setting up for an activity, she is likely looking for new ways to connect with residents on a personal level.

“Nicole is like the beating heart of The Courtyard,” says Katie Blanchard, Director of Programs at Youville Place. “She is always setting higher standards for herself and looking for ways to improve. It all comes from a selfless mindset – for Nicole, self-improvement translates to a better quality of life residents, which is her number one priority.”

Nicole can trace her interest in working with older adults all the way back to her very first job. As a teenager, she worked as cashier at Walgreen’s, where frequent interactions with older customers and co-workers made a big impression. “This was where I really came to love the older adult population,” Nicole says.

In high school, she became fascinated with biology, particularly in how genetics might lead to age-related memory loss, a condition that affected both of her grandparents. Nicole enrolled at Worcester Polytechnic Institute where she earned a degree in Biology and Biotechnology. However, she began to have second thoughts about pursuing a research career. “I got worried that I would be stuck behind a lab bench,” she says. “I wanted to actually be with people who need help in a more direct way, so I started looking for more direct care roles.”

Some early career adventures involved working as an EMT at Canobie Lake Park and training to become a physician’s assistant. In both jobs, she learned that forming interpersonal relationships gave her sense of purpose – and that the more transactional interactions built into many health care positions were not especially satisfying (“‘Treat ‘em and street ‘em’ was what one of my PA instructors used to say,” says Nicole). When her sister-in-law forwarded a job posting for Life Enrichment Assistant at The Courtyard at Youville Place, Nicole found a new opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives in a less-rushed, more holistic setting. “I really like being able to take my time with people and understand their needs, and not having to focus specifically on providing care on a tight schedule. This job turned out to be the perfect fit for me in that regard.”

“I love being the one who gets to hang out with residents all day,” she adds. “This relates to my preference for hands-on work, rather than something more removed like scientific research. Seeing residents light up at a new program or a new piece of information I share with them is very rewarding to me. I love seeing residents engaged, doing things with their hands, and thinking through
activities at a pace that is right for them.”

This is not to say that science has faded into the background. A recurring series called Science Lab has become a signature program of Nicole’s and a favorite among residents. “When I was in college, I traveled abroad to Australia and organized hands-on science lessons for children in under-served communities,” she says. “A lot of the lessons I came up with back then have been resurrected and re-purposed for the Courtyard Science Lab.”

In Science Lab, residents explore concepts like gravity and projectile motion while designing models – past projects have been slingshots and truss bridges. Sometimes, the building materials have the added advantage of being tasty treats, like gumdrops. The experience is at once tactile, social, and cognitively engaging. Nicole is also fond of leading craft programs and exposing residents to music on a regular basis.

“I really like music programs,” she says. “Music animates us in a way that nothing else does. It reaches a different part of the brain that does not seem to be affected by memory loss. It’s such a great way to reach a broad group of people.”

When not at work, Nicole enjoys hanging out with her menagerie of animals (dogs, guinea pigs, fish), planning international adventures with her friends (Costa Rica and Greece were two recent highlights) or domestic adventures to Disney Land with her wife. As you might guess from her programs at The Courtyard, music is also an important part of life – her tastes range from Broadway to female-fronted hard rock groups. Fortunately, she is able to enjoy the former genre on a regular basis with Courtyard residents!

 

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