Jessica P. Care Companion in Los Gatos, CA 95032

Hello there!
My name is Jessica, a local from the San Jose area. As part-time babysitter/nanny, I am very proud to announce that I am now serving our South Bay community as a senior caretaker. This will be my first experience finding families on-line to care for via Sittercity.
What experience do you have do have with senior care?
I would like to develop my resume with senior care.  Thus far, I have not done any heavy duty care.  I have cooked, cleaned, drove, walked and kept company for a few seniors.  The children of the senior's did not want to leave their parents home alone for too long, so friends of the family asked me to stay.  I have not had formal/paid experience with any seniors, though please do not let this stop us from having having a conversation about your needs.
So, what have you accomplished? Plans for the future? I started my very first job as a babysitter at the age of 13. From there, I began my second job at Walgreens beginning my sophomore year of high school and I stayed with the company for 5 consecutive years, working my way up from a service clerk to a pharmacy technician. It was during and before this time period where I received much of my babysitting experience. Currently, I am a part-time student and a part-time employee as the assistant distance coach for the cross-country and track & field teams at De Anza College (I also competed for De Anza for two years, and earned several athletic awards: Coast Conference Champion, Coast Conference Champion Runner-Up, Athlete of the Year, Most Valuable Player, Most Improved, Team Captain, State Qualifier, and I placed in the Top 4 in several events,).  My initial intentions were to go to school to become a pharmacist, but after much thought, I decided to let my gift and love shine through and major in Kinesiology and Nutrition, and to enhance the lives of children. To further enhance my credentials, I am just one test away (of several) to becoming a certified personal trainer.

Who are you? What do you do/what are your interests?
On my own time with family and friends I take part in several activities. When I can catch a break from studying, my regular weekly/monthy activities include olive oil tasting (I've been to only one wine testing adventure), gardening with friends, walks around Los Gatos, trail running, road cycling, searching for the next best restaurant, watching food network, duplicating healthy and delicious recipes, yoga/pilates/stretching routine, and crafts. I am a well-rounded and very active individual. I spend most of my down time furthering my knowledge on the nutrition-fitness connection, learning about several forms of exercise, organic agriculture, cooking Vietnamese, Schezuan, Thai, Indian/Pakistani, Jamaican, Mexican, Mediterranean and American styles of food. I enjoy foods from any and all cultures, and modify them to create a nice balance of taste and healthfulness. Reading and applying what I have just learned is the fortune of my existence. Also am virtually one-hundred percent drug free (yes, I rarely even consume coffee :) I do not smoke whatsoever, but I do enjoy dessert wine with my decadent, homemade cheesecake every so often. I am not the biggest advocator of watching T.V., as I do so an average of 3-4 hours per month. I believe in political activity, as it is our duty to give back to our children and thier children, just as our forefather's have done for us. I believe that healthy, active, and supportive families come together to build a "booming" community.
Philosophy of life? I must have the most cliche thinking out there, but it comes with wisdom. We all have heard the quote, "treat others as you would want to be treated". To this day, this means a great deal to me. Imagine a world where we all lived by this phrase...what we could accomplish--but I digress. I am a firm believer in open communication, positive reinforcement, honesty, personal responsibility, work ethic, and morality. I also believe in helping those that are less fortunate, those that cannot/do not know how to speak for themselves. Finding a balance of "tough love", unconditional love, care, guidance, and "teaching a man to fish" as opposed to "giving a man fish indefinitley". We can only ask out of the world/life what we put into it. Work hard, but don't forget to enjoy the ride, as life has many simple pleasures. Helping others when you can, and however you can to create a better community for all. Thus, I have done and will continue providing volunteer work. So far, I have participated in various types of commuity service: I have baby sat for a family for free during the summer for 3 months (they were in dire need), cleaned up the street of Bascom Road in San Jose by removing gang-related graffiti markings, cleaned up around De Anza College on Earth Day, rang the bell for Salvation Army to feed the homeless, volunteered coaching De Anza College's track & field/cross country teams, sponsored children in Honduras, dontate blood to Stanford, registered bone marrow donor, and a volunteer at Big Brothers Big Sisters. Live healthy, be happy!
Anything else?   I am virtually 100% drug free (I rarley drink coffee, and I do enjoy an occasional dessert wine with my cheese cake:)). I do not smoke whatsoever. I have a perfect driving record, as I am a very cautious and defensive driver. Oh, and I adore animals! I have an interesting kitty, and she's been with me for 5 years now.
Schools out until the end of September, so hopefully we can find a mutual-benefitting schedule/relationship to work with. I'm willing to continue baby sitting during the school season, perhaps we can find common ground. Hopefully this sounds like an ideal situation for you! If so, please contact me. 
The sun's out, so don't forget to smile!
-Jessica