Samantha Oropeza Promoted to Director of Life Enrichment

December 09, 2022 | News | Reading Time 2:00 Minutes

Sam says that years after she started working with older adults, “I still love being able to make a difference in our residents’ lives daily through advocation and friendship.”

It started when she was a little girl, and decades later, it’s still her passion. Samantha (Sam) Oropeza, newly promoted to the role of Director of Life Enrichment at Shipley Living in Wilmington, has a history of spending time with seniors.

“I grew up within senior living while coming with my mom to work. From when I was a small child, I was often sent down to help with activities or to various residents’ rooms to visit with them and keep them company. The residents would sneak me snacks, attempt to teach me how to crochet, trick me into believing they were Santa, etc. As a teenager, I spent my summers and days off of school volunteering, eventually securing a part-time position,” she said.

Sam first began working professionally at Shipley in 2016, coordinating activities for the senior living community. Her responsibilities have included directing and managing engaging, person-centered programming for residents of independent living, assisted living, memory care and health care.

Describing herself as being a combination of “caring, goofy and thoughtful,” she says she most values “the individualized relationships that I’ve built with our residents. I also love being able to provide them with companionship when their families are unable to.”

Tim Ballas, the Executive Director of Shipley Living, is excited to have Sam taking a lead in Life Enrichment.  “Our vision here at Shipley Living, is to be the first choice of those looking for an active and engaging lifestyle and community life program,” he said, “She is bringing a new energy and a new direction to the community, the team, and to the residents at Shipley. We have been building a team around our new standards and expectations which we are all excited to see take root and blossom.”

Sam concludes that, years after she started working with older adults, “I still love being able to make a difference in our residents’ lives daily through advocation and friendship.”