Why we love her: Sharon wears many volunteer hats at The Shea Center: Leader, sidewalker, barn crew, groomer/bather, and military program volunteer. Whew! Pre-pandemic, she participated in our large-scale events, including Back to Shea Day, Foster Family Day, and EFMP (Exceptional Family Military Program). And her sense of humor brightens everyone’s day.

Path to The Shea Center: Sharon first heard about The Shea Center through the Sunrise Rotary Club of San Clemente. “There was a speaker who spoke of the purpose of The Shea Center, and the purpose of the volunteers. I had been looking to volunteer somewhere during the weekend. I was so excited for the opportunity to become involved in the program and experience the progress of the young clients and being around horses was a bonus.” Thank you, Sunrise Rotary Club for your role in sending Sharon our way!

Years of service: Over five years

Lessons learned: “I have learned so much about horse behavior and movement.  How the horse’s movement combined with client tasks generate muscle strength and improves posture. A client would have a more difficult time achieving the same result in a different activity”. And, she adds, our clients have fun riding their horse in our equine environment.

Favorite Shea Center memories: Sharon loves watching our clients improve in terms of strength, speech and riding skills. Her favorite memory involves a 3-year-old client who started at the same time Sharon became a volunteer. As his sidewalker, Sharon was part of his progress. “He can now stand and kneel upright on the horse with little assistance, and lead the mini (horses) around by himself. His independence and confidence as a (now) seven-year-old warms my heart.”

When not at The Shea Center, she’s busy doing this: “I work full-time as an underwriter for a surety company, or I am riding to improve my own horsemanship, or entertaining my two Havanese dogs.”She finds her bliss: “Doing anything at The Shea Center. It truly fills my cup with happiness.”