IN HER OWN WORDS
with Darlene Steinkamp
How LIFEGUARDING prepared her for life as a registered nurse. You started working at a young age -15 -what sparked your interest in becoming a lifeguard? I had always thought being a Lifeguard looked like a fun job.
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What was your favorite part of lifeguarding at The Kroc? I loved doing swim lessons but most of all I made some of the best friends. We would go for ice cream after work and called ourselves The Kroc Krew. We know you and our Aquatics Specialist Nanette have a special relationship. How has having Nanette as your supervisor impacted you? Nanette helped teach me about what it meant to be a leader. She helped me learn how to respond to difficult situations and how to best serve a patron. This comes in handy on the weekends when I’m in charge of the ICU. I am able to see the “gray area” and make the best situation for my patients. My leadership skills are the best thing I could have gotten from The Kroc Center. You put yourself through college -how did the money you earned help you? I applied for every scholarship I could find. On breaks I would come home and work to pay for anything extra I needed.
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Who you are today? Today I am a bedside nurse, working on getting my trauma nurse specialist certification. I am also a student who is working on earning her doctorate in nursing to be a nurse practitioner. The Kroc became a second family. We helped each other out. I got help when I was moving or anything else I needed in life. It wasn’t just my coworkers, but it became the patrons too. The kids I taught swim lessons became a huge part of my life and thoughts. The women I taught water fitness to gave me some of my biggest laughs. I enjoyed going to work and seeing my second family. We all worked together on end of the night duties and had a great time doing them.
Winter / Spring 2022 | KrocQuincy.org | 217-222-5762
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