Long-time Burlington-area resident Sandi Dean believes kindness and respect can go a long way.
As a member of the kitchen staff at Burlington Notre Dame School, she gives and receives these qualities every day.
“The staff have respect for me,” Sandi said. “They’re kind. They give me advice.”
At Notre Dame, it’s all part of the family atmosphere, according to principal Bill Maupin, who attended the school as a student — and he’s quick to point out that Sandi is a key contributor to that atmosphere.
“Sandi’s always smiling,” he said.
Seeing these smiles from Sandi, one might not realize some of the challenges she has faced, including lived experiences with a learning disability, anxiety and mild depression. Staff members at Optimae, which provides community-based assistance with the activities of daily living, as well as behavioral health services, have helped on the journey.
“I go through mild depression, but I pull through it with help,” Sandi said. “I got a counselor [from Optimae Behavioral Health Services] that helps me. She talks to me about things; I talk to her, and I open up.”
Opening up is an important element to reducing the stigma sometimes associated with mental health. As Sandi has learned to open up herself, she’s learned the importance of encouraging others to do the same.
“I would tell them to believe in yourself and go to a person, like a friend, who would understand you,” Sandi said.
Sandi also believes that talking to people about their disabilities can bring greater understanding. And, just talking with and learning from others about their daily routines or latest news makes the world a little closer.
“When I don’t have dishes to do, I just go and talk to [the students],” Sandi said. “[The kindergarteners] give me hugs. And it makes my day when they talk to me.”
Sandi’s ability to build relationships with students will serve her well, as she hopes to one day become a teacher’s associate. Her aunt, who is a special education teacher at Sunnyside Elementary, is her inspiration.
“Because I have a disability, I love working with kids with disabilities,” Sandi said. “They’re sweet.”
Sandi has a number of opportunities to interact with students of various backgrounds during the lunch shift. Her position at Notre Dame, which she secured and maintains through the help of an employment specialist from Hope Haven Area Development Center, includes handing out individually wrapped condiments to students, a safety measure the school implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now in her sixth month at the school, Sandi believes she’s found a place where she belongs.
“I’m really happy,” Sandi said.
