Valerie Daniel

Ever since I was a child, I've always wanted to teach. During the summer, teachers would give us extra materials, and I would teach to my dogs and my stuffed animals - I always just played school. After I started teaching, my first year, my principal came in to do an observation and told me I was a natural teacher. He said it just comes easy to you, you're just a natural teacher. I've been in education for over 31 years, and my last position was working with kids at a Youth Development Center. That was more about helping because a lot of those kids missed a lot and didn't have people to support them, so it was really about supporting them, offering assistance, instructing them, and telling them this is the right way to do things and helping them make better choices. When I retired, I was looking for something to do and thought about helping senior citizens. I started Grace and Mercy Life Coach, LLC in 2023, and I provide coaching sessions focused on grief support and anger management. I also go to senior citizen centers and do different presentations on nutrition, grief, and stress. I'm currently working with the ICWP waiver program as a case manager, helping individuals with Medicaid who have traumatic brain injuries or are disabled get the services they need to meet their daily needs. I have always just had a passion for helping others, and that's what I consider my full-time work now.