After Life-Altering Lung Surgery, Diane Cowles Finds Her Way Back to Rewarding Work
Diane Cowles was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 1989. Less thn 10 years later, she lost a lung to cancer. She may be officially "disabled,” but you'd never know it to see her in action. She's a star performer at GoodTemps, Goodwill NY/NJ's temporary staffing agency, and this year's winner of the William B. Joslin Outstanding Performance Award. According to her employers and colleagues, she's a hard-working, savvy New Yorker whose abilities far outshine her disabilities. Meet Diane and watch her win the Joslin award.
ROSE HUNTER
Rose Hunter, a peer advocate counselor in the psychiatric ward of Elmhurst Hospital, is an inspiration to both the people she works with and the staff who work with her.
When Rose came to Goodwill, she had grappled for years with bipolar disorder and depression. She was hearing impaired, and had suffered abuse both in her family of origin and her marriage that ended after 15 years. She was frequently hospitalized for mental illness. She had never been able to finish high school or move forward with a job that was commensurate with her level of intelligence.
Rose participated first in Goodwill's Continuing Day Treatment/Creative Recovery program, where she learned coping skills, group therapy, relaxation and individual therapy in an arts-oriented environment. She later joined our Citiview Connections clubhouse, which is operated jointly by members with psychiatric disabilities and staff. These programs "helped me grow in many ways," she remembers. They "helped me to learn, to love myself, and to make my goals and dreams become reality." Rose went on to obtain her GED through Goodwill's Family Learning Center and then attended our Peer Advocacy Program. She was placed by Goodwill in Elmhurst Hospital, where the staff liked her so much that they offered her a permanent full-time position.
Rose won the Goodwill Industries International "Graduate of the Year" Award in 2003. Since then, she has been given increased responsibility in her job. Her goal is to receive more training and become a case worker. She hopes some day to go to college.
"Elmhurst and Goodwill opened up so many doors for me," she says. "I use myself a lot as an example to show patients what they can do if they comply with their treatment. I can't thank you enough."