Marcelle Shuman, Lead Resident Assistant at Morning Pointe of Brentwood, Tennessee, is from Jamaica. Recently, she achieved the dream of passing the exam to become a United States citizen.
Land of Opportunity
Like many immigrants, Marcelle came to the U.S. seeking a better life for herself and her daughter.
“I think it’s the opportunities more than anything else, coming from a third-world island,” Marcelle said about her 2014 move to the States.
She started off working as a cosmetologist but decided after a year that wasn’t for her. So, she took classes and became a Certified Nursing Assistant. She worked as a CNA at a nursing home in Buffalo, New York, for four years.
“It was different,” Marcelle said. “It was always on the go. Here at Morning Pointe, you can get to know the residents better.”
Marcelle moved to Tennessee so her daughter could pursue her dream of becoming a doctor at Meharry Medical College in Nashville (she is now an OB/GYN). Marcelle saw an opening for an RA at Morning Pointe, applied, and was impressed. She has worked at the assisted living campus for almost five years now.
“I love working with people who need a little extra help,” Marcelle shared. “I love the residents and getting to know their different personalities and different cultures.”
Pursuing Citizenship
Marcelle eventually decided she wanted to earn her citizenship so she could vote and have a voice in government and more of an opportunity to travel. She started studying for the citizenship exam.
Citizenship candidates are given 100 civics questions to study for an oral exam. During the exam, they are asked 10 of those questions, though they don’t know beforehand which ones. To pass, candidates have to answer at least six correctly.
“I didn’t realize they were so rigorous with the questions,” Marcelle said. As she reviewed the questions, she found support from a perhaps unexpected source – her residents.
“I asked the residents, and they helped with the answers,” she said. “I got help from everybody.”
When Marcelle took the exam on Feb. 1, she passed with flying colors.
“I’m grateful to Morning Pointe for being so supportive,” Marcelle said. “I’m really happy with how my life turned out and my accomplishments. I feel like coming to Morning Pointe is more like a family. It’s not just a work environment. It’s all about teamwork.”
Now, all that remains is the swearing-in ceremony.
Morning Pointe is proud of you, Marcelle, in how you care for our residents and are part of our Morning Pointe Family!
