T E X A R K A N A M A G A Z I N E
Ronita Miller and her sister grew up in foster care, where they were moved fromhome to home for a few years before finally settling with a foster family in 1993. She livedwith themuntil after she finished high school in 2004. She then attended Southern Arkansas University Tech in East Camden, Arkansas, working toward a degree in early childhood education. However, after she received a call from Child Protective Services (CPS), when they declared her an adult and officially graduated her from their care, she “felt alone and slowly drifted away from schooling.” She began working in daycare settings and substitute teaching positions. In 2009, she had her firstborn son, Ra’Maurye. Soon after, in 2010, she received an unexpected call from CPS. Her oldest brother’s children needed placement with a family member, or they would be placed into the foster system. “I wasn’t sure if I could do it, living in public housing already, but I wasn’t going to allow my nieces to go through what my sister and I did.” Ronita added Rhianna, who was two and Shaniya, who was one, along with another son Rashaad who was born a year later, to her growing family. For the next seven years, she was a single mom to four children until 2017, when her youngest niece, Mattie, also joined her crew. “I’m not going to say it’s been easy, because we’ve had hard times. I’ve cried many nights,” Ronita said. “I love each and every one of my children. I give my all to them. I know I wanted more for them. When all you have is faith and strength, you have to push yourself daily. Caring is just in me.” It is that caring spirit that encouraged Ronita to pursue classes
toward becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) through The Texarkana Missions. “The classes lasted four weeks,” she said, “and on graduation day, I received a call and an interview, and I was hired (at Cornerstone Retirement Community).” She was very excited but “scared at the same time. I love helping others and I wanted to be the best at my job.” According to the leadership at Cornerstone, that is exactly what Ronita has become—one of the best. For the residents of Cornerstone, Ronita is committed to making sure that each of their individual needs, whatever those may be, are met to the best of her ability. “I make sure I bring a listening ear, helping hands and love, and all the laughter they can handle. Some residents and their families have said, ‘You are family.’ They know they are loved and safely cared for. That’s how I know I’m doing something correctly. I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s the best feeling in the world. I will continue my education to ensure they have the best care possible. I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve been given. I am blessed beyond measure to be a part of such a great facility… I love my job, Cornerstone, and most of all, my precious residents.”
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