Nearly 50 Years of Support: How Vivian Found Career, Community, and Home at Pursuit Center
Vivian has been a part of Pursuit Center for almost 50 years. As a young child, she attended the Texas School for the Deaf in Austin. It was there that she became proficient in American Sign Language and learned many other skills as well. Upon graduation, Vivian returned to Houston to live with her grandmother.
In 1976, Vivian enrolled in our vocational program, where she quickly excelled. She was hired by Prince Foods and had a twenty-five-year career as a cafeteria worker. When her grandmother passed away, Vivian faced an uncertain future with no relatives to assist her and no place to call home.
Pursuit Center stepped in, and Vivian moved to the Cullen Residence Hall on the West Dallas campus. In 2013, she moved into a community home under Pursuit's HCS program, a place she loves, especially having her own room.
Today, Vivian enjoys retirement at our Young at Heart program at the Harrisburg location. She fills her days with cooking, working on the computer, gardening, and community outings, particularly shopping trips and dining out.
People who have encountered Vivian know her as a kind, outgoing person who you will often see around campus with her best buddy, Cheryl. Over the years, Vivian has taken great pleasure in teaching staff and participants American Sign Language, and she will always help anyone who wants to learn a new sign! Vivian stays abreast of current events and is always ready to talk about what is going on in the world.
"I am happy that Pursuit Center was there to help me after my grandmother passed away," Vivian shares. "They have changed my life and given me a chance to work and a place to live." Her story reminds us why Pursuit's work in the community matters because everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive, contribute, and live with dignity and independence.
