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I am Shelbie Eure Palermo, mother of two adult daughters and grandmother of a darling grandson. I am a lifelong resident of Southeast Virginia and a proud descendant of landowners and farmers dating back to 1812. In childhood I participated in 4-H hog shows, having been in the newspaper for my showing hogs in Smithfield and the Virginia State Fair. I was in the rifle corps at Forest Glen High School, achieving many awards and appearing in newspaper articles and on TV. In my adult life, I was a ballroom dancer and choreographer. I taught ballroom dancing at Fred Astaire Dance Studio. Later in life, I became a professional cosmetologist, owning my own salon and beauty school for 22 years. 

At age 45 I made a career change to dental assistant, which led me to becoming a dental instructor at Everest College. After the passing of my father, I decided to dedicate my time to taking care of my mother, for she had a rapid health decline. Thus, I developed a strong passion for caregiving, so after her passing I became a full-time caregiver, specifically for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients and hospice families. I have been doing that for the past 10 years.