When Candace Jamison first started college at Rowan University, she was certain she was on the road to becoming a forensic psychologist. But everything changed when she became a mother.

“Having my daughter made me look at the world differently,” Candace says. “It made me much more emotional, and I wasn’t sure forensic psychology was my path anymore.”

She soon became a Direct Support Professional at The Arc of Union County, and within six months, she was promoted to supervisor. During that time, she connected with many different consumers, including a gentleman who loved talking about his favorite restaurants, about vacations he enjoyed taking with his family and about life in general   with her. “That experience really opened my eyes,” she says. “It brought into focus that the people we were serving deserve the same opportunities and relationships as anyone else.”

Candace joined The Arc of Essex County in 2019 as a shift supervisor at the 705 Apartment Program in Maplewood. From the beginning, she found herself surrounded by leaders who invested in her success, particularly Shareem McElhaney, her program manager at the time and current Director of Adult Residential Services. “Shareem taught me everything I needed to know,” Candace says. “She didn’t just teach me how to run a program. She taught me how to grow as a leader and even as a person. She always saw something in me that I didn’t always see in myself. She has been my guiding light.”

Under that mentorship, Candace was promoted to Program Manager of the Beechtree Group Home and, just a year later, became an Assistant Director of Residential Services. Today, she oversees six group homes while also serving as the medical Assistant Director for several additional residential programs, helping ensure residents receive high-quality, coordinated medical care.

Although her responsibilities have grown significantly, Candace says the most rewarding part of her job hasn’t changed. “I stopped by 705 the other morning, and everyone came over giving me hugs and saying they missed me,” she says. “Moments like that remind me that I made a difference. That’s what keeps me going.”

Candace says she’s learned that authentic leadership isn’t about having all the answers. “I don’t try to be someone I’m not,” she says. “I just try to lead the way that comes naturally to me. I want to support my team the same way my leaders supported me.”

That supportive culture is one of the reasons she loves working at The Arc of Essex County. “This team is amazing,” she says. “If I ever have a question or run into something I haven’t experienced before, someone is always there to help.”

Her biggest fan is her daughter, who has grown up alongside The Arc. “She knows so many of the residents and staff by name, and they always ask about her.”

While no two days look the same, Candace has embraced the unpredictability of residential services. “Every day is different,” she says. “Some days are hectic, but you learn to adapt. I always tell myself that if I can accomplish one important thing by the end of the day, then I’ve made progress. It’s not always going to be a good day or a bad day, but it’s going to be a day, and we’re going to keep moving forward.”

Looking back, Candace is grateful that one unexpected life change led her to a career she never could have imagined. “I can’t see myself doing anything else,” she says. “This is where I’m supposed to be.”