Colton Johnson is from Benton, Iowa, but now lives in Mount Vernon. He transferred here for his sophomore year and enjoys living here. “Mount Vernon is a good community and a small but nice little town.” He started his sophomore year here in Mount Vernon. “This school cares a lot more about the students,” he said. 

Johnson, 16,  works at the Hallmark Care Center in Mount Vernon.  His mom also works there and is the reason he started working there. One day they needed extra help so Colton went in and was hired. He likes working there because it pays well and the work is easy. His favorite part about his job is just talking to the residents.

Colton has worked at the nursing home for two months and he enjoys it but it can get hard. He is a dietary aid which means he brings the food to the residents.  Every employee has to be tested for COVID-19 two times a week and they all have to wear masks the whole time. When covid was at its peak everyone had to stay in their rooms and visitors could only see them through a window or Face-time which was tough for everybody. 

There are a lot of obstacles that Colton has to deal with at work but he manages to get through them. “It’s tough because sometimes the residents  don’t know what they want to eat or they don’t know if they want to eat because some of them have dementia,” he said. At the moment there is a covid outbreak and everyone has to stay in their rooms and stay isolated. 

Working with elders also has a lot of good things come out of it. “It is fun working with elders because they are generous, they tell great stories and they can give good advice,” he said.  “The best advice I have received from one of the residents is that time is your greatest asset, so use every second wisely.”