Cypress Cove Scholars: Patricia Chavez and Son Danilo Moreno-Chavez

Patricia works full time as a household assistant in The Cottage at Cypress Cove, our beautiful memory care assisted living neighborhood. In her native Colombia she graduated with a focus on occupational health. Afterward she moved to the U.S. with her two children.

“One of my lifelong goals since being in America is to obtain a professional career in the medical field. I have a new respect for the elderly and residents who have memory impairments.” She adds that working at Cypress Cove has enabled her to teach her children to be more patient and understanding.

With the Cypress Cove scholarship, she is now pursuing a degree in occupational therapy at Keiser University.

Patricia’s son Danilo is also a Cypress Cove Scholar. The duo was our first mother-son scholar recipients! Danilo completed his associate degree at Florida SouthWestern State College during the pandemic and is now enrolled in the University of South Florida in Tampa, majoring in computer science. He previously worked part time as a dietary aid in The Lodge at Cypress Cove from 2019-2020.

Danilo remembers the residents he served with great fondness. They cheered him on to pursue his dream of becoming an engineer. When asked what he enjoyed the most about working at Cypress Cove, Danilo responded, “Every resident at The Lodge was wonderful and taught me something about life with their wisdom.”

To gain valuable skills and help pay his expenses, Danilo works at an Apple store in Tampa as a specialist, helping customers with their devices, while he attends school full-time.

Both mother and son plan to graduate debt free thanks in part to their Cypress Cove scholarships.