Lisa Crotty Staff, Faculty of Dentistry I think it’s so important to be at one with nature and get a little zen alone time. It’s been that way my whole life. My dream was to be a teacher. As part of my arts degree, I had to shadow a teacher. I chose to shadow the teacher who inspired me when I was a child. I used to look at her with starry eyes and I wanted children to feel that way when they looked at me, too. But when I went to shadow her — I think she was having a bad day — she talked me out of teaching and I never went back. I never actually graduated because she said to me, ‘You don’t want to do this.’ After that, I didn’t know what the heck I wanted to do because even as a child I had this big chalkboard at home, and I’d always pictured myself as a teacher. But I always knew I wanted to help people. I ended up going to work as a dietary aide at the Victoria General Hospital, which meant doing the tray prep and delivery for all of the patients. I knew I wouldn’t stay in that role, but I also knew that I loved being in the healthcare setting, being part of a team, and being with patients. I loved giving patients something they looked forward to and talking with them. I prefer working in a smaller team. I feel like I’m making a much bigger impact. You know that your role is a crucial one. All of us are essential to the medical device reprocessing (MDR) department and the department is essential to the Faculty. We’re all a link in this big chain that goes toward good customer care and student learning. It’s why we’re here. If we’re not doing our job properly, then other people can’t do their jobs properly or safely. I love nature. It’s my go-to: hiking, kayaking, canoeing, biking, camping—all those things. I think it’s so important to be at one with nature and get a little zen alone time. It’s been that way my whole life. We were always outside when we were kids. As a family, we went camping and we spent the summers at Parlee Beach in Shediac. My husband actually proposed to me on that beach because it’s so meaningful. Our whole childhood was there. The beach is gorgeous. It goes as far as the eye can see and it has lovely white sand, clear water, and no seaweed. My husband is from Brookside, near Prospect. He’s like me — he grew up in a little house in the woods and spent lots of time outside. So he’s my kindred spirit We met when we were working at our very first jobs. We were at Sears at the Halifax Shopping Centre. I worked in the houseware department and he worked in the hardware department and we were neighbours. He used to pop by my counter and say hello and I used to detour to his counter to say hello. One day we had lunch together in the Sears lunchroom — just by fluke. Our supervisors put us on lunch together. It was just him and me. Oh, my gosh, we laughed and laughed and laughed. And I thought, hmmm, I like this guy. We started dating shortly after that. We’ve been together 12 years now and married for four. I’ve always been a leader, truly, even when I did summer camps. Even playing teacher as a little kid, I’d have all my little stuffed animals lined up in front of the chalkboard. I truly enjoy a good leader. A good leader makes other leaders. It inspires me to lead people in the way that I would like to be led. So the role of teacher appealed to me for those reasons. I can leave my job at the door, but that might be me personally. I have a really great work-life-home balance, so I can do that. But I can also take it with me if I let it. There’s always something that has to be done, somebody I have to get back to or contact for one reason or another. As a technician, you can just leave it. But wearing the supervisor’s hat, it’s different. I’m a pretty simple person with a simplistic life. Very positive, optimistic, easy going—that pretty much sums me up: family, friends, and nature. And loving my job. ← Danielle ↑ Home Susanna →
