Her Story
About Mary
I'm a registered behavior technician working with Total Care, and I also own my own business, Gentle Waves Swimming Company, where I teach adaptive swimming to children with disabilities and autism here in Murfreesboro. I've been in the ABA industry for about 6 years, starting as a behavioral technician, and I waited about 2 years to get my RBT registration, which I did independently without formal schooling. My journey into this field was deeply personal. Growing up, I had my daughter when I was young, and my sister had a son named Owen who is autistic. Watching my sister struggle and never fully understanding what Owen was going through made me realize that people really do see and think differently, and it's so important that everybody have a voice. I give all my success to that little boy, Owen. What I'm best at is shaping behaviors, taking something that doesn't look so good and helping children or young adults speak through their body movements and making it something useful. I'm really good at being adaptive to people's individual needs. Consistency is my number one quality - I always show up, I'm always there, and I'm always going. Before this, I became a certified medical assistant and worked in nursing homes with my grandmas and grandpas with special needs. This work isn't always easy. I've had really hard days where I've been hit, pinned down by my hair for about 7 minutes, and left crying, not sure why I'm doing this anymore. But my mentor, Jennifer Peacock, has been amazing and kept me strong in this field. She's what kept me in this field, and I wanted to grow up and be like her.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Mary
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a little boy, my nephew Owen. Growing up, and I had my daughter when I was young, so I didn't finish school. I was at Chattanooga State for a little while, and walking around campus as the only pregnant one, it kind of stands out. But life happens, and it happens to you every single time without fail. My sister had a son, and we were really close in raising our kids. I'm one of eight children, but my sister and I are really close, and we were the only two to have babies in this time frame. My nephew was autistic, and my sister always looked so tired, like she just needed a glass of wine. She was just struggling, and I never could fully understand what she was going through, but more importantly, I could never understand what he was going through. It just became so interesting to me that people really do see and think differently, and it's important that everybody have a voice. So I give my success all to a little boy named Owen.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Success is never owed, but rent always is.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in my field right now is the need for male RBTs. It's a challenge because we have so many young men that could really benefit from having someone side by side, or just throwing a football a little further than a girl can. We could use some more men in this field. But I think this industry is full of opportunity. It ain't nothing but flexible. It's amazing what you can do when you have people that understand you and not a corporation.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity is the most important value to me. It plays a huge role in what we do. It would be so easy to do this job and not do it at all, or just think you're signing up to play with kids. It's really important that the families and the children get all the benefits that they should be receiving. It's important that I have integrity and I play my part.
Keep Exploring
More Influential Women · Tennessee
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.