Maria Souza

Housekeeper / Falmouth Hospital / Cape Cod, MA

Falmouth Hospital Worker’s Determination Pays Off

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We often think of leaders as people who are presidents of organizations, captains of teams, managers of departments, etc. But, how often do we look at the person working alongside us as a leader? How often are we surprised when someone unexpected shows leadership skills? It can often be subtle and without fanfare, but suddenly you find this person drawing you in a certain direction.

Maria Souza demonstrates her leadership qualities by her actions at work. When Maria began working as a housekeeper at Falmouth Hospital on Cape Cod in 2004 she realized how strong her desire was to learn English.

“It is nearly impossible to live in a country and not understand the language,” says Maria. She attended a few courses offered through community programs but often faced the challenge of time management. Work, family, school and commuting were difficult, but Maria did her best to attend regularly.

Maria knew that Cape Cod Healthcare and the 1199SEIU Training Fund applied jointly for a grant through the Massachusetts Department of Education to help prepare hospital workers for college-type courses. So, Maria asked the Fund staff person if they would consider offering a class on-site of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). She was prepared for the answer that she had heard over and over again: “Yes, if there is enough interest”.

There never seemed to be enough interest. Taking it upon herself, Maria began to discuss with her co-workers the need for them to get together and ‘create enough interest’ in an ESOL class. Maria pointed out how important English is for work, personal enrichment, and community involvement. In the summer of 2009, Maria presented a list of 10 names to the Training and Upgrading Fund. With this list, the Fund Committee began preparing for an on-site ESOL class. The class began in the Fall 2009 semester. “I’d like to thank everybody who made it possible to have this class. I know that it took a lot of effort from a lot of people,” said Maria.

Maria and her leadership skills brought to light the need for the class. Would you consider Maria a leader? We certainly do!