Clocking Out
Michele Kupiec leaves the 19th hole for an inspiring next chapter!
When you make the turn at Jacaranda, a quick stop in the 19th hole is a pretty good bet. Another pretty good bet, depending on the day, is that you’ll get a friendly greeting and a warm smile from Michele Kupiec. She is behind the register, ready for orders that sometimes come fast and furious, but if you think Michele’s mastery of the breakfast burrito or her ability to rattle off every available beer, (imported and domestic), is the extent of her talents, you would be wrong. Really. Really. Wrong.
That’s because Michele has another job. One that, most would agree, is a bit more critical than satiating hungry and thirsty golfers.
For the last 40 years, this New Jersey native and current Daina Beach resident has been an EMT/paramedic; racing to emergencies, saving lives in the field and comforting distraught loved ones. Her very first call, (she was right out of high school), was for a 4-year-old who fell out of a 10-story window! Miraculously, the youngster survived, and Michele went on to help hundreds, perhaps thousands of others.
Serving people, in whatever capacity, seems to be in Michele’s blood.
She’s a critical cog in the well-oiled machine known as the 19th hole. She is also just about ready to clock in for her final shift.
As she heads toward her 60th birthday, you might think Michele would be ready for a little quiet, a slower pace. Once again, you’d be wrong. Really. Really. Wrong.
Late last year, Michele used all those years of emergency medical experience and patient care to take on a remarkable challenge. She studied like crazy then took- and passed- her nursing boards. Today, Michele is a certified Registered Nurse.
But wait. It gets better. At the end of March, Michele is packing herself up and moving to Memphis to work as an RN at St Jude Children’s hospital. For those of you who don’t know, St. Jude is one of the nation’s leading hospitals for pediatric cancer research and treatment, and it NEVER asks its patients for a dime. She’ll be taking care of youngsters and their families who are likely going through the most difficult challenge of their lives.
We have no doubt she will be an incredible asset to one of the nation’s most important hospitals just as she has been in the back of many an ambulance… and here at Jacaranda as well.
We will miss you, Michele.
Godspeed.
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