Meet Direct Support Professional Najoya Stewart-Leslie
Meet Najoya Stewart-Leslie, a Direct Support Professional supporting the young men living at the BCCS Children’s Residential Program (CRP).
Najoya started at the CRP two years ago, after working as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and paralegal. What interested Najoya most about becoming a DSP was finding a job where she could take part more fully in the care of other people.
At the CRP, Najoya is involved in the meaningful milestones and daily life of the young men — and she enjoys being part of their daily learning and growth.
“Every day is something different,” said Najoya. “There’s always something new to learn about the young men. It’s inspiring to see how far they’ve come over the two years that I’ve been here.”
One area where Najoya has grown is in learning how to communicate with the young men who are non-verbal or have limited verbal abilities. She’s developed ways to connect through body language, gestures, facial expressions, and other cues the young men use to express their preferences or needs.
This communication is important as Najoya supports each person in building skills of daily living.
“Helping them become independent is the most important part of the job to me,” said Najoya. “I enjoy teaching them to accomplish things on their own.” Najoya teaches the young men how to prepare meals. Miles Semilof looks forward to cooking lessons, and his favorite meals to cook are chicken patties and fries or meatballs and pasta.
Of all the meaningful moments together, Najoya’s favorite memory is the first prom that the young men attended at the Brookville Mansion.
“They looked so nice going to the prom. They really enjoyed it. They were dancing!”
Thank you Najoya for dedicating your talents to supporting the children of our CRP.