For many people, retirement is the ultimate career goal. At the culmination of years of hard work and professional endeavors, retirement is a time to celebrate and acknowledge the contributions made by an employee throughout their career journey. The path to retirement is an individual one, and no two paths are the same. Some want to experience a variety of industries, positions, and localities, eager to pursue new avenues and gain an array of skillsets throughout their career. Others, however, find fulfillment within one position and grow personally and professionally within that role.

For Lucinda, it was a combination of the two. After joining DuPont Community Credit Union in 1986, Lucinda built an impressive career at DCCU, fulfilling many roles during her 35 years of service. Now at the end of her time with DCCU, Lucinda is ready to embark on her next big adventure: retirement. We recently sat down with Lucinda to discuss her time at the Credit Union, capturing insight into her dedication to DCCU and how she found purpose in the meaningful work we do.

Lucinda worked for another credit union during the mid-1980s. At the time, there had been talks of a possible merger, which created some uncertainty about her role there. A close friend encouraged her to put in an application at DCCU. She listened to her friend's advice and applied. "I remember it so well. My interview was on a Wednesday, and at the end of the interview, they asked me if I could start work tomorrow (Thursday)," said Lucinda. "That's how I started my career at DCCU." During her time here, Lucinda held five positions, starting in retail and eventually ending up in more specialized positions. When asked about her favorite role, Lucinda struggled to pick just one, instead saying that each one furthered her personal and professional gorwth, and were unique on their own.

She did admit that one position, in particular, was most personally rewarding. Lucinda's first position was as a teller, and this is where she discovered her purpose. For Lucinda, her reason why has always been about members and community. "I have to say that working on the teller line was the most rewarding. You wear so many hats when members come in, sometimes finding yourself being more than a teller. Sometimes they just need a friend to talk to," said Lucinda. For her, fulfilling her role as teller extended far beyond banking transactions, as she greatly enjoyed interacting with and serving DCCU members. She went on to say that, "no matter what was going on, I was able to be there for them, and I loved it." In fact, when asked about the highlight of her career, Lucinda answered, "help the members," without hesitation. Lucinda worked as a teller for 17 years, before going in a new direction in her career at DCCU. She transitioned to a variety of more specialized positions, before finally finding herself in the Fraud Security Department as a Fraud Investigator.