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Joy and laughter every day
Bruce, Early Learning Center at Memorial
Work life
Bruce enjoys working with children, and has for the past 12 years in his position in Memorial’s Child Care Center. He specialized in the three- to four-year-old group and says they keep him young and energetic. “I can act childlike and get away with it,” he jokes. “It’s a great place to work. We all care about each other.”
Bruce received his degree in criminal justice but got tired of what he calls red tape. “I wanted to be around fun things and nice people." One day, when picking his own kids up from the Child Care Center—his wife Trish works in the ultrasound department—he asked the center’s director Peggy, “What are the chances of a guy working here?” He was delighted to hear her response: “The same as a woman’s chance.” He applied and was hired, and he’s been having a great time with the kids ever since.
Bruce especially enjoys the weekly themes designed to stimulate ear and eye coordination. “Today, we’re playing bounce the bear,” he explains. Everything this week revolves around bear projects. Of course his favorite part is the kids. “It’s true that kids say the cutest things. If their parents only knew the family secrets they reveal,” he laughs. “From dressing habits to what daddy buys at the store, the kids are so funny. They fill the halls with joy and laughter every day.”
Home life
Bruce and Trish have been married for 27 years. They have a daughter, Adrienne, who’s 21 and a student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a son, Aaron, a senior at Ike who is heading to Washington State University in the fall, “Go Cougs!” Bruce adds.
His hobbies include stripping furniture and restoring antiques, and taking road trips to Cannon Beach, Ore., and Las Vegas to visit their daughter. Bruce also enjoys being active in Aaron’s sports, including football and baseball.
What he loves about working for Memorial
“It’s a joy to come to work every morning. Every day brings something new and exciting.” He describes his job as a fun atmosphere offering a flexible schedule and good salary and benefits. “Memorial invests in employees. They do so much more than they have to. No wonder there are so many happy employees and the turnover is so low."