I decided this month I wanted to find a hero who takes their job very seriously and does their best to make the world better where they touch lives. It took me one day to find one. Her name is Veronica Corona.

Veronica works at Gold’s Gym, and she works very hard and cleans with a great deal of skill. Not only does she do the job well, she cares about the people she serves. I was concerned because I couldn’t find some boots I wore to the gym one day. I asked her if she had seen them or if there was a location I could look. She took me to three lost and found areas, and she was sincerely concerned about the whereabouts of my missing items. Not only that, a week later she remembered me and asked if I had yet found them.

The week prior to that, she was apologizing about a missing bench in one of the bathrooms and told me she was also trying to replace the hair dryer in the “family bathroom.”

This is the place I take my special needs adult, the only place I can get him changed, and she was incredibly concerned that it was not stocked properly. I was shocked. Who does that? Who thinks of people and how to serve them in a better way?

I asked her about her life. I thought of how many times she asked about Gregory and what she could do to make his life better. Veronica said she has a daughter and was very concerned about her because there was a lock down at her high school, and she was stuck at the school and couldn’t go in after her. She said she felt like her heart was dropping. Veronica waited until it was time and she was able to reunite with her daughter. She knew she couldn’t share her fears with her family because of the concern of high blood pressure. Just describing it to me I could feel her uneasy feelings and her relief that her daughter was safe. She was so incredibly grateful. She thanked me for listening. I thanked her for sharing her love of her daughter.

Another guest at the gym listened and said, “We need more people like Veronica in the world.”

I asked the other guest why she said that, knowing that I felt the same way. The guest said she was always looking for ways to help her feel welcome and comfortable. She was surprised at Veronica’s genuine interest and how seriously she took her job. She said, generally, people might take their time getting tasks done, look for breaks and a way to escape the work.

Veronica takes pride in the job she accomplishes. She shares her love of the people. I asked her if she liked the job and she said yes.

“I get to help people feel better and be in a clean place,” she said. She worried her words were not getting through as English was her second language, but I assured her I understood what she was saying. If only we could all appreciate what we have and desire to do our best. Every day. Veronica is a wonderful example of service through her job. I am grateful for her.

Amy McOmber is a 23-year resident of Sammamish.