Tell us about your family: I’ve been married to my husband, Steve Schrader, for 30 wonderful years, and together we have three awesome kids. Our oldest, Cody, is married to Cassidy, and they’ve given us our first grandchild, Clara, who is 8 months old. They live in Omaha. Our second, Josh, lives in Chicago and works as a Communication Specialist for Citizen Action Illinois. Our youngest, Malori, is a junior at Wayne State College studying elementary education.
Tell us about your pets: We also have two dogs. Bo is our 11-year-old Black Lab, and Finn is our 6-year-old Maltese who pretty much runs the house.
What is your favorite movie? My favorite movie is The Wizard of Oz. I remember watching it for the first time as a little girl and being completely amazed when it shifted from black and white to color—it felt truly magical. To this day, I still collect Wizard of Oz memorabilia.
What is your Dream Vacation? My dream vacation would be one where my entire family could travel together—my husband, children, their spouses, and our grandchildren. Growing up, my parents took my brothers and me on family vacations, and those memories are very special to me. If that isn’t possible, I’d happily settle for a vacation with just the grandkids.
What is the most rewarding part of your job? The most rewarding part of my job is helping other employees and our clients/communities. It gives me a sense of belonging.
What is your favorite holiday/time of the year and why? Christmas is my favorite holiday. I love all the magic that comes with it—traditions, decorating, baking cookies, and watching the kids open their gifts. Now that my husband and I are empty nesters, some of that magic has faded, but so has the stress. This past Christmas was extra special because it was Clara’s first.
What was the best gift you’ve ever received? The best gift I’ve ever received was my first car for my 16th birthday. It was a 1985 Ford Escort with a big bow sitting in the driveway. I had a birthday sleepover that night, and when we all ran outside to take my friends home, there it was. It didn’t have air conditioning (that was optional back then), but my dad insisted I didn’t need it since I’d always have the windows down—and honestly, he wasn’t wrong.
What are you grateful for? I’m really grateful for family time, even though it’s harder to get everyone together with busy schedules. I’m still hoping to get an updated family picture soon.
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? If I could only eat one meal for the rest of my life, it would definitely be pizza—especially Chicago-style.
What word best describes you? If I had to describe myself in one word, it would be giver. I’m always thinking about others and what I can do to brighten their day.
