Donna Young-Bob is a Senior Staffing Coordinator who spends her professional life ensuring that each floor of JPS Health Network has adequate coverage and the network’s needs are fulfilled. Beyond her career, though, she is a mother.
“As a mother, JPS supported my needs. Whether it was childcare, different working hours, or encouraging a healthy work-life balance, there was never an issue with having to work while raising my family,” Young-Bob said.
This relationship that Young-Bob fostered with JPS allowed her to instill the same values in her kids that her mother instilled in her. Young-Bob’s mother was a factory worker. Despite how tiring her work was, she watched her come home every day with a positive attitude.
“My mother taught me that you just have to do it. You must be strong regardless of the situation. Ultimately, she loved what she did and kept doing it.”
This display of love and passion that Young-Bob witnessed growing up is the same example she wanted to set for her children. As a kid, she recalls wanting to find a place where work was enjoyable. Watching her mother gracefully move through life with a career that valued her inspired Young-Bob.
“Being a mother taught me that I can make it through a bad day. I made sure that my kids witnessed me coming to work every day with a smile on my face. When I came home, I wanted to make sure they were receiving positivity,” said Young-Bob.
As a working mom, Young-Bob learned the true value of empathy, support, and motivation. Wanting the best for her children, she strived to help others become the best versions of themselves. Outside of her own family, she prides herself on being a team member who makes other people feel like they matter.
Young-Bob is known for her smiling face as she walks the halls. She believes that we are given a choice every day: to have a good day or a bad one. She is adamant about always choosing a good day. This uplifting attitude is a testament to her motherly character, which is the same character that led her children to choose JPS.
“Being a mother taught me that I can make it through a bad day. I made sure that my kids witnessed me coming to work every day with a smile on my face. When I came home, I wanted to make sure they were receiving positivity.”
As her kids aged and began to consider career opportunities, Young-Bob made sure to remind them that they could do anything they wanted as long as they loved it. The example she set throughout their adolescence began transferring into their choices. Von Young and Veronica Johnson, Young-Bob’s children, both work at JPS in the Trauma Registrar Department. Here, they spend time collecting and analyzing data.
“My kids were unsure of what they wanted to do. I would tell them that whatever they decide on, they must do it with honesty and integrity. I know that is the precedent I set. It makes me proud to see them achieving things far beyond that.”
Young-Bob has had a front row seat to her children’s success. She has witnessed them find their passion within JPS and excel in their careers. In the Trauma Department, her children are faced with many challenges, but that is why they love it here. The network has given Young and Johnson the opportunity to thrive amidst obstacles.
Being a mother has gifted Young-Bob with many lessons, values, and morals that she carries throughout her daily life. Having an exceptional mother figure to look up to has allowed Young-Bob to raise empathetic and passionate children. She does admit, though, that it takes a village.
“We are a close-knit family, six generations to be exact, that love what we do. We set good examples for each other, and we stick together. That’s what family does.”
Celebrating Mother’s Day has always been a natural sentiment for Young-Bob. With such a close relationship, she makes sure her mother knows how appreciative she is. Likewise, Young-Bob’s children do the same for her.
“I want to pay honor to my mom. She has been by my side through everything. Being celebrated by my kids, though I never expected it, fills me with love. It’s nice to be remembered.”