“I knew I wanted to help and give back because I can’t imagine doing anything else,” said TVS INTERACT Program Supervisor Brooke Wilson. “There is never a question if I am helping people; I see it every day.” Brooke is celebrating her 10th anniversary of serving and giving back to individuals with disabilities at Transylvania Vocational Services (TVS).
Brooke has been the INTERACT Program Supervisor for the past three years. She is responsible for creating meaningful and engaging activities, setting individual goals and independent plans for each participant and keeping detailed documentation and reports. But her favorite part of the job is getting to be a Direct Support Professional (DSP). “I enjoy getting to jump in and watch them grow and laugh,” she says. “It fuels me when someone is successful, meeting a goal, and growing as a self-advocate and gaining independence.”
In the beginning
Brooke was hired as a DSP in 2014 and promoted over the years to Activity Coordinator and the INTERACT Team Mentor. “Brooke is an exceptional employee. She has worked in many capacities, DSP, mentor to other DSPs, and is currently supervisor,” said Program Director Carla Hill. “She believes in our mission and purpose, making every effort to ensure that our participants and staff are having meaningful experiences.”
After graduating high school, Brooke lived in Charleston, Portugal, and Little Rock, Arkansas where she graduated from Arkansas State University with her bachelor’s in criminal justice and minors in sociology, internationals studies, and forensic psychology before moving back home to Brevard in 2011.
“It was actually my senior project in high school along with my personal relationship with friends and family in the disability community that pushed me in this career direction,” said Brooke. “My senior project was helping a woman with down syndrome read and explore the community. This is the experience that lit my fire.”
Describing Brooke
Described as compassionate, encouraging, hardworking, and fun. Brooke has flourished in her INTERACT Supervisor position. “She is always focused on being person-centered and doing what is best for the participants, guided by their interests and needs,” says Program Manager Suzanne Byers.
It takes a special kind of person to be a DSP. “An individual in this position must be able to change directions in a second, work alone with multiple disabled individuals at one time, be aware of and keep all those individuals safe, be engaging with everyone, and be a mentor,” says TVS Employee Support Specialist Tracie Fisher. “It requires a person with a certain character and heart, and Brooke is the perfect example of that. She is a very caring and selfless individual, and it shows in her role at TVS.”
Thinking back over the last decade, Brooke smiles exclaiming, “there are too many favorite moments!” She reflects on numerous company picnics and Christmas parties, Racquet Club pool trips and playing pickleball and ping pong, visiting Sky Top Apple Orchard, the Asheville Art Museum, Arboretum, Carl Sandburg House, PARI, gingerbread houses at the Grove Park Inn, Night to Shine Proms, hikes at Gorges State Park, reimagining Avery’s Place with adventures such as the recent Christmas Cruise and Harry Potter Christmas, and TVS dances.
“I dressed up and danced as a dinosaur at this past Halloween dance,” said Brooke. “Our folks kept asking what I was dressing up as and I told them they would have to wait and see. When they figured it out, we could not stop laughing.”
Tracie also laughs thinking back on Brooke at the TVS dances, “She gets right out there and encourages everyone, even the DSPs, to boogie. She is everyone’s biggest cheerleader and supporter. Brooke is, and will always be, one of my favorite parts of my TVS time.”
According to INTERACT participants, Brooke “has a good heart and is fun to be around.” She also happens to be a “good cornhole partner with a good sense of humor.”
Outside of work
When not at TVS, Brooke can be found doing a lot of similar things such as outdoor activities like hiking, fishing, and swimming. She also can be found with tie dyed hands shopping in a thrift store. Some of her favorite things are babies, the movie Elf, and her family. Brooke is married to her husband, Jamie, and is a proud mom of three; Haiden, Maybrie, and Kennedy.
“Brooke is a sweet person. Our friendship grew when we realized we were cousins and noticed how much we resemble each other,” laughs TVS Housekeeping Supervisor James Gardin. “All jokes aside, she is a very important piece of TVS and in my life, even if she is a ‘Dukie’ or a Duke fan.”
She believes that people should never be underestimated because you never know what they are capable of; give them some time and they will show you. Brooke quotes Neurologist, Oliver Sacks, “I wish for a world that views disability, mental or physical, not as a hindrance but as unique attributes that can be seen as powerful assets if given the right opportunities.”
“I have met some of the most incredible people, coworkers and participants alike, at TVS. They have the same passion and heart for this work and that is something I will carry with me forever,” Brooke reflects. “They have all impacted my life in ways that I could never even come close to doing the same in theirs.”
Borrowed from an INTERACT participant, “Hope for the best but prepare for the rest” is a fun twist on the popular saying, “hope for the best but prepare for the worst.” Brooke prefers the updated version because she doesn’t believe in bad days – just days with different challenges. She says, “I get excited when getting ready for the day. It’s a new adventure and I look forward to what’s next.”
