Our big GUC family is full of hard-working employees who are passionate about working here. From contract workers to the CEO, everyone has an important role to fill, like Occupational Health Nurse Sonia Pickens.

GUC and Vidant Health work in tandem to provide employees with nurses who keep employees happy and healthy. "Vidant provides wellness services out in our community wherever employers have a need," Sonia said. "And we try to customize that to what the customer wants."

Sonia began working at the GUC Occupational Health Clinic in 2011, which at the time was only one room. Originally, the clinic operated three days a week. However, that all changed in 2013.

"GUC decided to expand the clinic to providing healthcare every day," she said. "That's when I started working full time here, through Vidant, and also when a medical provider came on board to work one day a week."

Sonia does what she knows best: educating and helping employees find answers to some of their most difficult health questions. "What's kind of fascinating is that people come in with a lot of unanswered medical questions or concerns," said Sonia. "I get a lot of joy in helping them find answers to their health concerns."

And helping people is something Sonia did long before she became a nurse. Born and raised in New Bern, Sonia graduated from ECU in 1989 with a degree in Criminal Justice. (And we love this little tidbit; she was also a "Golden Girl" on the dance team that was part of the ECU Marching Pirates.)

"While I was working in the social work field at a mental health center, I decided I wanted to become a psychiatric nurse," said Sonia. So she attended Lenoir Community College where she graduated with an Associate's degree in Nursing in 1998. After graduation, she began working as a nurse at then Pitt Memorial Hospital and later for the state of North Carolina before being hired as an occupational health nurse with Vidant Health.

But now, Sonia considers herself part of the GUC family. "I feel like I have been adopted," she said, "and I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity to work here."

"I think that the people at this company are a pleasure to work with. It's a good blend of enjoyment and challenge. GUC has a lot of people who are very personable and funny."

Being a great nurse at GUC isn't all Sonia is good at, though.  She enjoys interior decorating and working in the yard, planting lilies and other flowers, or working on home improvement projects like cabinet refinishing. She also enjoys crabbing along the New Bern waterfront. 

Other times, Sonia travels to Kernersville where she enjoys watching her teenage nephew and niece, AJ and Erin, play sports.  Sonia has two furry companions who bring her joy as well: her two cats, Patches and Little Bit. "They are a handful, but I love them," Sonia said laughing. "I call them my 'guard dogs' because they follow me all over the yard and stand guard as I work outside."

Sonia's love of family and her passion for helping GUC employees to live healthy lives is contagious, but in a good way. "And for those who aren't familiar with the clinic or those who don't have a primary care physician," said Sonia, "good health can start right here at the GUC occupational health clinic."