Marjorie’s love for seniors can be traced back to her childhood days when her grandmother was diagnosed with dementia. Being the only daughter and youngest of 3, she learned at an early age what it was like to care for a loved one with dementia. Her family calls her “Joy” as she does enjoy life and laughs a lot. Marjorie has been passionate about caring for seniors because of their wisdom, resilience and gratitude for the things we may miss in our everyday busy lives. It’s highly rewarding for her when she’s able to reduce anxiety and stress on both resident and their loved ones and offer opportunities to live each day with purpose and meaning. It’s a great accomplishment knowing that she has turned what could have been a difficult day into a great one, full of laughter and fun activities.
A graduate from Lyceum of the Philippines University, Marjorie holds a Bachelor’s degree of Science in Nursing. In addition, she also completed a social service designee program in Los Angeles. She is also a certified administrator by Department of Social Services. Marjorie has had the privilege of working in senior living for 10 years.
Before devoting her work full time to The Kensington, Marjorie served as a Director at a non-profit senior living community as their Director of Assisted Living and Memory Care. Her earlier career included roles as an Assistant Administrator for a 300-bed capacity non-profit senior living that takes care of retired priests and nuns. Marjorie is honored to be a part of the The Kensington, and is proud that our organization helps support Sierra Madre to becoming a dementia friendly city by educating the community, instilling respect for people living with memory impairing conditions, and fostering an environment that works to eliminate the stigma often associated with such conditions. Her personal values are aligned with this community who cares about the seniors she has a privilege to know. Marjorie always believes that there’s no better way to live, than to give. Giving your time to listening to the resident’s every word as they tell you stories of their youth, their accounts of old trends, reminiscing with them about long lost loves, and listening to their pearls of wisdom is the most rewarding thing anyone can do. For her, giving is the purest act of love.
Outside the office, you will find Marjorie spending time with her family, her two dogs and two African lovebirds that she named “love” and “happy”. When not traveling, Marjorie enjoys gardening and going on hikes, and planning for the next adventure with her husband. She is married to Carlo, a registered nurse. They love to bond over coffee and foods. Her family and her husband are her foundation.