OnShift Applause Awards:

Kaylynn Crawford

CNA, Bellaire at Stone Port and The Legacy at North Augusta

Kaylynn Crawford is truly deserving of a Best in Care Award because of her dedication to our residents, her commitment to quality care, and her desire to continually grow as a healthcare professional.

At only 19 years old, Kaylynn has already demonstrated an impressive level of maturity, compassion, and responsibility in her role in assisted living. Kaylynn has been a certified nursing assistant since 2024 and became a registered medication aide in 2025. She has embraced both roles with a strong commitment to providing safe, respectful, and compassionate care to our residents. She consistently puts the needs of our residents first and understands that quality care is about much more than completing tasks — it is about making each resident feel valued, respected, and cared for.

Kaylynn is also investing in her future and in the future of healthcare by currently attending Blue Ridge Community College and taking nursing classes. Her willingness to further her education while working in assisted living demonstrates her passion for the profession and her commitment to becoming an even stronger caregiver.

Kaylynn makes the lives of those around her better simply by caring. She has a natural compassion for our residents and treats them with kindness, patience, dignity, and respect. She takes the time to get to know them as individuals and makes sure they feel valued and cared for.  One example that stands out to me personally is seeing Kaylynn come into the community on her day off to spend time with residents who were nearing the end of their lives. She was not scheduled to work and was not coming in for a work responsibility. She came because she wanted to be there for them. She would sit with them, visit with them, and provide companionship during a very difficult and meaningful time. To me, that speaks volumes about who Kaylynn is as a caregiver.

Since joining our community, Kaylynn has been a positive addition to our team. She contributes by being dependable, willing to help, and dedicated to the residents we serve. She brings a positive attitude to her work and demonstrates the kind of compassion and work ethic that makes a difference in the lives of our residents and in the workplace. Kaylynn represents what it means to be a dedicated caregiver. Her accomplishments at such a young age, combined with her continued education and genuine commitment to our residents, make her an outstanding example of the kind of team member who makes our community a better place.

At only 19 years old, Kaylynn has already developed an understanding that quality caregiving is about so much more than completing a checklist of duties. It is about being present, providing comfort, listening, showing compassion, and making sure our residents know they are not alone. She also makes a difference in the lives of her coworkers by being willing to help, maintaining a positive attitude, and being someone her team can count on. Kaylynn's kindness and genuine concern for others have a positive impact on our entire community. She doesn't just provide care, she creates meaningful connections, and that is something that cannot be taught in a classroom.

Tori Newman

CNA, Oak Grove Christian Retirement Village

Tori is a quiet and reserved person who doesn’t seek attention or recognition, but we constantly hear about her through the residents and families she cares for. We receive so many compliments about Tori and the care she provides. Residents adore her, families trust her, and we even have residents who specifically request Tori because of how safe, comfortable, and cared for she makes them feel.

One example that truly shows Tori’s heart happened when one of our residents was preparing to attend a funeral during an incredibly difficult time in their life. Tori came into work on her day off simply to help that resident get ready. She wasn’t looking for recognition or praise. She did it because she knew that resident needed someone, and she genuinely cared. That is who Tori is. 

You don’t hear Tori talking about all the things she does, you hear about them from the people she cares for. Her work, her heart, and her actions all line up. She quietly shows up every day and gives our residents the kind of compassionate, dignified care we would all want for someone we love. Tori is truly one of those caregivers whose work speaks for her, and I cannot think of someone more deserving of recognition for the difference she makes in our residents’ lives.

Trayvond Ray

CNA, Waltonwood University

Trayvond deserves to be recognized as a Best in Care Award winner because of the consistency, compassion, and pride he brings to caring for our residents. Over his nearly 10 months with our community, he has become someone residents, associates, and leadership can depend on.

His commitment to quality care can be seen in the small details. Trayvond makes sure residents are clean, bathed, well-groomed, and presentable while always treating them with dignity. One moment that stands out was when a resident's granddaughter was getting married. Trayvond took the extra time to help the resident get ready, including helping him with his suit and tie so he could look his best for such an important family occasion.

Trayvond has also made our resident care team stronger. He is a phenomenal trainer who takes new caregivers under his wing, especially those who are new to caregiving. He leads by example, helps them become comfortable and confident on the floor, and shows them the level of care we expect for our residents.

His impact is also felt by his teammates. During difficult shifts or staffing shortages, Trayvond is someone others can count on to step in and help. His willingness to support the team takes pressure off those around him and helps ensure our residents continue receiving the care they deserve. 

Trayvond has an exceptional level of commitment, not only to our community, but to Waltonwood as a whole. Just this week, I received a call from another Waltonwood community asking if we had a caregiver who would be willing to help them with staffing over the weekend. When I asked Trayvond, he agreed to help without hesitation.  That willingness to step up is nothing new for him. This past winter, when our own community was experiencing staffing challenges, Trayvond volunteered to stay over and work the floor alongside me to make sure our residents were taken care of. In nearly 10 months with our team, Trayvond has never called off for a scheduled shift. What makes that even more impressive is that he also works another caregiving job from 3 PM–11 PM. Despite balancing both jobs, he continues to show up, support his teammates, train new associates, and provide dependable care to our residents.

Trayvond's genuine care for our residents, willingness to support his teammates, and commitment to doing things the right way have made him an invaluable member of our community and an excellent example of what Best in Care represents.

Amanda Souhrada

CNA, Good Samaritan Society - Tyndall

Amanda has been employed with Good Samaritan Society Tyndall since December of 1998.  Her 28 years of dedication to our residents and facility have been outstanding.

Through these 28 years she continues to find ways to advance her knowledge and to advance the ways she can give of herself. She has held a position in almost every department and if she hasn't officially held a position in a department she is always finding ways to help that department whether it be doing laundry, mowing the lawn or curling hair. Her goal is quality of care to the residents and families we serve and if she can do something to improve that quality she will find a way to do that.

Amanda holds certifications as a certified medication aide, certified nurse’s aid, restorative aid and has added activity coordinator to her credentials these last couple years. She had been our main scheduler for many years and made sure staff were available for our residents. Working "short" was not an option for Amanda.  She would say "our residents don't deserve that." If there was an open shift, Amanda is there. There is no one else that has stepped up to a challenge with such grace more than Amanda. 

Amanda continues to find ways to improve herself in order to serve our residents and facility to the best of her ability. Her most recent addition to her credentials is being one of our SAFE coaches. She is finding ways to make sure our environment is safe not only for our residents but also for our staff.  She is active in our QAPI program as well.

As the activity coordinator, she is finding ways to bring the outside to our residents. Examples are having students from the school come at holiday time to sing for the residents, in the spring having students come and plant flowers with the residents, finding volunteers to play live music for the residents, finding ways to bring pets into the facility, and doing ice cream runs so our residents can enjoy the gifts that the community has to offer. The list could go on and on of the ways she gives of herself to improve the lives of not only our residents but also our staff. 

Amanda has given of herself for so many years in so many ways and never asks for anything in return. She is very humble in what she does and only wants the best for our residents. Her heart and soul goes into not only our facility but our community. Even with her full time job here she finds ways to be involved in our community, helping bridge the community involvement in our facility. Amanda deserves this award for the many years of dedication she has given to our residents and the humble loving care she delivers every day.

Zina Lee

Care Manager, Sunrise of Frederick

Zina deserves to be a Best in Care Award winner because she represents what dedicated caregiving should look like. She has devoted 19 years to Sunrise at Frederick, and throughout those years she has remained dependable, compassionate, professional, and committed to providing exceptional care.

Zina does much more than complete the responsibilities of her position. She pays attention to the individual needs of each resident and takes the time necessary to provide quality, person-centered care. She communicates with families, participates in family meetings when asked, helps ensure needed supplies are available, and shares her experience by helping train new team members. She is someone we can count on without hesitation.

Perhaps one of Zina's greatest contributions to our community is her consistency. She shows up. She doesn't complain. She doesn't involve herself in negativity or drama. Instead, she focuses on our residents and on doing her job well. For nearly two decades, Zina has quietly and consistently demonstrated the values we want every caregiver to possess. Her commitment has helped make Sunrise at Frederick a better place for residents, families, and team members alike.

What stands out most about Zina is the way she cares for our residents. She never makes them feel like they are simply another task that needs to be completed. She takes her time, treats each person with dignity and respect, and provides care as though each resident were a member of her own family. That compassion brings comfort not only to our residents, but also to their families, who can feel confident knowing their loved one is in caring hands.

Zina also makes life better for the people she works beside. She steps in wherever she is needed, is always willing to lend a helping hand to her coworkers, and simply comes to work ready to do what needs to be done. Her steady, positive presence makes a difference every single day.

In caregiving, there are often people whose contributions aren't defined by one extraordinary event, but by thousands of ordinary moments in which they choose to show up, be patient, be kind, and give someone the care they deserve. Zina is one of those people.  For 19 years, residents and families have been able to count on her. Coworkers have learned from her. Leaders have trusted her. She has cared for countless residents and treated them with the same compassion and respect she would want for someone in her own family. Zina does not seek attention or recognition for what she does. She simply comes to work, smiles, cares for her residents, supports her team, and does what needs to be done. That quiet, consistent dedication is exactly why I believe she deserves to be recognized.

Jean Marc Remy

Caregiver, Lincoln Meadows Senior Living

Jean Marc, aka Marc, is one of the kindest and most genuine caregivers we have here at Lincoln Meadows. His calm demeanor, patience and attentiveness to the residents is unmatched.
Marc is always on top of picking up meal orders for his assisted living residents, ensuring they receive their meals in a timely manner and warm. If I or any of my servers need assistance with an assisted living resident, he is always happy to help whether it is his resident he is responsible for or not. 

We have a highly non-verbal assisted living resident and it is very difficult for my young servers to take her order. Sometimes it takes as much as 10-to-15 minutes to get the order. Marc spends a lot of time helping this resident decide on what to eat. He uses our picture menu as well as non-verbal cues with her such as 1 finger for yes, 2 for no. Marc is a gem for his residents and those that work with him.

It is nice to have someone like Marc that is dedicated to our residents.