Star Of Queens

Thursday, December 27, 2007 10:59 AM EST

Licet Valois
Latino Outreach Manager,
Alzheimer’s Association, NYC Chapter

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Along with the outreach work that Licet Valois does with the Alzheimer’s Association, she is a member of several other organizations, including the National Association of Social Workers, the American Society on Aging and the New York Mental Health Association. She is also a board member of the Latino Alzheimer’s Coalition of New York.

PERSONAL: Valois moved from Colombia to the United States in September of 1997 after receiving a track and field scholarship to go to the New York Institute of Technology, where she received a master’s in clinical counseling. Her mother, father and sister still live in Colombia. Valois also has a master’s degree in social work from Hunter College and a post-graduate certificate for aging and mental health from Brookdale Center on Aging.

JOB:After working as a consultant with the Alzheimer’s Association for about five years, Valois was named the Latino Outreach Manager last August. “My goal is to reach as many Hispanic people as possible … to educate them about the Alzheimer’s Association and the disease. I hope to be able to reach as many people as possible just to guide them to the path to get services,” she said.

BIGGEST CHALLENGE: Valois said that she deals with many people with strong beliefs about how things are done and her biggest challenge is getting people to open their minds and show them that there are different ways to do things.

PROUDEST MOMENT: “I have had so many,” Valois said. “I guess on a personal level just to make it as far as I have made it.”

INSPIRATION: One inspiration for Valois has been her parents. She said that her mother was always helping others and set an example for her to do the same. She also said, “My inspiration is just to make sure that I can give something to someone’s life, just to help them with the quality of their life.”