Her Story
About Cherry
I have been a licensed private caregiver for over 30 years, specializing in live-in care for retired disabled veterans. Before this, I retired from AAFES (Army Air Force Exchange Service) in December 2010, where I helped set up facilities on military bases around the world. I've been to many places, experienced different cultures, and learned firsthand what diversity was all about. That is one of the things I love telling about - the different cultures I experienced, the people, the foods, the designs. It was a life experience. I started my caregiving work helping care for a friend's father, a Master Sergeant in the National Guard who had a brain tumor that paralyzed him on his right side. He was 6'6" and had even played a part in a Frankenstein movie when stationed in Transylvania. All of my patients have passed during my care - I'm the last person they communicate with. It's an experience I wouldn't change or trade for anything. Every time I talk about them, I get emotional because they do become like your family. I believe I was led to be with these people. I have that gift - I can tell you an hour before it happens. I help them on that final journey. They don't want to leave because they don't feel settled with their families. I am their lifeline - I bathe them, feed them, clothe them, spend the day and night with them. Being a live-in caregiver takes a special talent. You've got to have patience, compassion, and understanding. Some of them, when they're getting close to the end, are truly hard to deal with. You've got to show them love and that they can trust you. The key to me with all of it is patience - you gotta be careful what you say, how you say it, the tone in your voice. I'm currently a straight-A high honors student on the dean's list, working on my bachelor's and master's degrees simultaneously in Criminal Justice with a focus on Homeland Security and criminal investigations. I graduate in February 2026. After my current client, I plan to retire from caregiving and work for Homeland Security, with the ultimate goal of becoming a criminal lawyer.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Cherry
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my father and my brothers. My father went far and beyond to provide for his family, and he was always there encouraging us and teaching us to do right. He taught us to never judge anyone - it's not our job to judge, it's God's job. He taught us to always be honest, no matter how hard it may be to tell someone that you did wrong. It's better to tell them the truth so that pain can heal, rather than lie to them and have them live with that lie, and another lie, and another lie. It never ends, and the scar can never heal. If you tell the truth, the scar will heal, and you can move on. He instilled that in us when we were very small, and the whole time growing up, we didn't lie. We knew it was not - you just don't lie. My brothers also inspired me. My oldest two devoted their life to the military and both retired military. They were both recognized by presidents during different times. My oldest brother was recognized as a genius by President Ronald Reagan and presented an award for being a true genius for programming a naval ship by himself - it takes teams to program a naval ship, but my brother did it by himself during war. He also had two PhDs in ecology. He could answer anything - it didn't matter what issue came up, he had a solution. Calm, cool, collected, and an answer, and it was always right. Another brother became captain of the ship he was on during Desert Storm on Iwo Jima because their captain had a massive heart attack and he was in line in command. So he was recognized. I contribute my goals and my mindset based off of my brothers.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
The best advice I can give is always keep your integrity. I think that your integrity not only shows what kind of person you are, but it highlights your morals and your ethics.
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