A Lifetime of Community Service: Judi Boston-shedd
For Judi Boston-shedd, our Resident Services Coordinator for Willow Glen Apartments in Sacramento, education has been a core part of her life. As one of the longest Resident Services Coordinators in PSCDC, she has devoted her time to bringing the diverse community of Willow Glen families together and giving them the resources and confidence they need to pursue better lives for themselves.
Before working with PSCDC, Judi worked in the field of education for 28 years in Sacramento and Tulare Counties. She started as an interpreter aid for hearing impaired students, where she taught keyboarding to hearing-impaired students. For years, she continued working with teachers, students, and parents in providing the best educational resources as a teacher resource technician, technology assistant, and grant resource technician. During her last four years of working in Tulare County, she pursued her passion for behavioral psychology and obtained her Bachelor of Arts, Masters, and Doctor of Psychology. Outside of education, she was a foster parent for 18 years, a scout leader, a youth group advisory, and a court-appointed special advocate (CASA) mentor.
Judi joined the PSCDC family in March 2013. After retiring from education and no longer needed to watch her grand kids, she found the opportunity to become a Resident Services Coordinator.
Her favorite part of being a Resident Services Coordinator is seeing youth and adult residents finally understanding what they have been trying to learn. Residents love and appreciate the support they receive from Judi, especially when it comes to education.
"I think she's the best After-School Program leader because she always helps everyone, and if she doesn't know the answer, she will find it," says Breshna Sajjad, a young resident that participates in Willow Glen's after-school program.
Shabnim Kahn, a resident at Willow Glen, believes that Judi brings the community together, "Oh, I appreciate Ms. Judi so much. She has helped me very much in understanding English, and many people in the community feel very comfortable coming to her for help."
Judi also hosts plenty of community events and opportunities for the diverse families in Willow Glen to come together and socialize. Out of all the community events, a potluck where each family brings a dish from their culture is the most popular event followed by Santa visiting every year on a fire engine. Other events like Bingo Night and this month's special event: Valentine Candy Making have residents excited to participate. These events are important to her because "it brings all of the families together despite their cultural beliefs." PSCDC would like to thank Judi for being an active example of what we strive to accomplish for our residents: providing educational and community services that support and empower our residents. We hope she continues to bring her love for education to the Willow Glen community for more years to come. With almost seven years of working with the Willow Glen community, Judi believes that her work has been very rewarding.
"I feel very positive," Judi says, "I know my community finds my help valuable, and they show me their appreciation all the time."
