For this Community Living Supervisor, her work is ‘the happiest place on earth’

For Ashley Fisher, self-care is a yearly trip to Orlando all by herself.

She walks through SeaWorld and Disney parks at her own pace, doing only what she wants to do. It’s an important chance to recharge for Ashley, one of Achieva’s Community Living supervisors, who’s spent years as a direct support professional.

If you ask how she thinks about her work, she’ll direct you to a song written about the profession with lines like, “I sometimes wonder who’s supporting who,” and, “I’m lucky, I’m blessed it’s you I get to see,” which might explain why, last September, she even made her yearly trip to Orlando about one of the people she formerly supported.

During Ashley’s first gig as a community home supervisor, she supported a woman named Alycia Lazur, who always dreamed of a trip to Walt Disney World.

Ashley says she has a “special bond” with all of those who lived in her first house, but the connection with Alycia was made stronger by their mutual fascination with all things Disney and chatting over the photos from Ashley’s trips. They remained friends after Ashley’s role evolved, and last year, they realized they’d both be in Florida at the same time in September 2022, Ashley for her yearly pilgrimage and Alycia to visit her mother.

To Ashley, this wasn’t just a coincidence. It was an opportunity to change a life.

She gained permission from Alycia’s parents to bring her to Magic Kingdom, and adding even more enchantment to the experience, it would be a surprise.

Ashley and Alycia planned to meet at a Disney hotel just for lunch, but on her way there, the Epcot “ball” caught her eye. She started asking questions and soon learned that a ticket to “the happiest place on earth” was waiting for her, along with her friend Ashley.

The pair enjoyed dinner at the Be Our Guest restaurant in Beast’s Castle and attended “Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.” For Alycia, meeting Minnie Mouse and riding Splash Mountain stood out as favorites from the adventure.

With the glitz and awe of costumes and world-class rides, Alycia’s dream was fulfilled that day, but in a more subtle way, so was Ashley’s.

“It’s important for me to be able to support the dreams of the people I support,” she said. “If there’s a way, I will work to find it.”

“If I am having a bad day, I just need to hear that one laugh or see that one smile!”