Back to school, back to routine and back to highlighting our incredible staff at OSNS! This month we get to learn more about Cathy Brett, the lovely person you see greeting you every time you enter our doors! As you can tell from this photo during our renovations, Cathy was very excited to see her new desk! :)
What is your job title? Administrative Assistant
What do you do at OSNS? I answer the phones, sit up front to greet people, prepare reports, letters, take meeting minutes and lots of other
“assorted sundry duties”.
How long have you been at OSNS? 3 ½ years
What is your favourite part of your job? My husband and I decided not to have kids, so it is really fun for me to watch the kids play and learn and grow through their journey with the amazing team we have here. I love it when they start to gain the confidence to come up and talk with you, get curious about what you are doing. They are all so amazing in their own unique ways.
What has surprised you about working at OSNS? Frankly everything. My role here is very different from my past jobs.
Share a funny or unique story from when you were a kid: When I was two, the bedtime story that was most frequently read to me was Old Yeller. Yes, Old Yeller-a nightmarish and nightmare-creating story about a dog with rabies. Sometimes older siblings have quirky senses of humour. Well, it was read to me so many times that I had it memorized. I knew every word, I knew when to turn the pages, every little nuance of that book. My brother, who was 11 at the time, was very entrepreneurial and he began making money by betting his friends that his 2 year old sister could read. He would bring them around in groups, hand me a copy of Old Yeller and proceed to rake in the money. I think I actually paid for his university education!
Who is your favourite Disney character and why? Princess Merida from Brave because she pushes the boundaries, fights for what she believes is right, acknowledges her mistakes and loves her family.
What do you do when you need to get pumped up? Music, always music.
What is your favourite animal? Wow, that is a tough one-I used to want to be a zoologist. I would have to put elephants, mountain gorillas, dolphins (magical), cockatoos and orangutans up there in a general way, but if I get specific, I have to list my three shih-tzus at the top of the list.
What is your favourite food? Truly don’t have a favourite. I really enjoy fried chicken-that’s what my mom used to make for supper whenever I threatened to run away from home- and my mom’s recipe for mac and cheese. Ooooooo and popcorn!
What is your favourite part about living in the Okanagan? Eating a freshly picked peach that is still warm from the sun. Having baby quail run through my yard. The smell of rain. The smell of cottonwoods in the spring. The sparkle of the lake in the winter sun.
Where would you go on your dream vacation? Africa-a trip down the Nile, see the pyramids, ride a camel and then a safari.
What is your favourite quote? It varies depending on where I am in my life and my current state mind, but one that always resonates with me is a Kierkegaard quote: “Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.”