Presented by Israel Ruiz, Executive Vice President & Treasurer:
"Our first Unsung Hero is the kind of coworker we all want on our team. She has worked the weekend shift in housekeeping at MIT Medical most of the last 10 years but recently took a full-time position on weeknights. Her name is Maria Coelho and those who work with her say that she is an infinitely reliable and consistently cheerful colleague. They say that Maria happily takes on the duties that others would rather not do—like the arduous task of testing all the fire extinguishers, a job that entails accessing many challenging spaces. But that’s Maria…she tackles everything with gusto and good humor—always taking on the tough chores to spare her coworkers the trouble.
As her nominator observed, “Maria is noticed by many for her kindness and generosity. Those who have the pleasure of working when Maria is on duty know that a hot cup of coffee and toasted Portuguese bread awaits them. I’ve even seen her offer some to patients and family members who are waiting.”
Maria’s quiet good deeds have given her a high profile among her coworkers, who are grateful for her contributions to MIT Medical—and to the morale of all who encounter her.
Maria Coelho is truly an Unsung Hero."