Dining Options
- Chef-prepared meals with daily open dining
- High quality and nutritious ingredients
- Opportunity to collaborate with the culinary team on resident’s own recipes
BISTRO
- 24/7 snacks and drinks
- Various events hosted throughout the month including ice cream socials and wine tastings
herb garden
- Fresh herbs and vegetables for use in the kitchen
- Lovely area to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather
- Residents welcome to tend the garden throughout the season
community activities
- Large activity room dedicated to community events
- Full calendar of educational, social, and cultural activities
DOG PARK
- Medium sized dog park for our residents’ furry friends
- Staff is available to assist with pet care
REHAB CLINIC
- Easy for residents to schedule and attend physical therapy sessions
- Equipment is also available for exercising
Veronica Chery-Rosa
Executive Director
Veronica Chery-Rosa’s passion for enriching the lives of others is a family trait. She is one of three children, all of which hold careers in healthcare. Veronica began her senior care journey in 2001, in an assisted living facility in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. She served as a med tech and caregiver in this community for 12 years. She then worked for Legend Senior Living at the Windsor-Ortega community. In 2014, her path quickly transitioned from part-time receptionist/caregiver into a full-time Business Office Manager for Windsor- Ortega. She was a key player in Legend’s successful launching of their independent living community in Jacksonville, Florida in 2021. Veronica’s person-centered approach with team members and residents alike has led to successful retention of staff and regulatory survey outcomes. She is embracing the next chapter of her professional career with Strive Senior Living and is looking forward to building the Strive brand within the healthcare continuum!
Melissa Corkish
memory care Director
Melissa began her career in the health care field over 20 years ago. She has a wide range of experience with behavioral health, mental health, medical fragile, as well as the senior population. Both of Melissa’s grandmothers had Alzheimer’s/Dementia, which has inspired her to re-focus back into working with seniors. Melissa has a genuine passion to care for others and is committed to enriching the lives of seniors. Melissa was born in Upstate New York and relocated to Florida in 2018, where she now calls home with her Fiancé and her dog, Hope. Melissa has her bachelor’s degree in Sociology at SUNY Brockport College in NY. Melissa enjoys sunflowers, chocolate and diet coke.
Alva Arrington
Nurse ADMINISTRATOR
Alva Arrington is the Nurse Administrator for Sanctuary by Strive. Her knowledge base comes with overseeing all operations and ensuring residents receive the care they need in compliance with state and federal regulations. Alva’s compassion for our residents comes from years of experience, care, devotion, and continued education of Alzheimer’s disease for the well-being all residents.
Alva’s nursing career began in the Emergency Department of Jackson Park Hospital in Chicago, IL. She remained there for 7 years and obtained experience in many medical areas. Later, Alva worked with the Department of Veteran Affairs as a Family Support Coordinator for 11 years.
After her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, she became interested in learning more about the disease. Her desire to help residents and families then led her to specialize in this area. Alva has worked in assisted living/memory care for the last 15 years as a Health & Wellness Director.
Alva has one daughter and two lovely grandchildren. She enjoys spending time with them and introducing them to new experiences in life.
Kalub McPherson
Move-in Coordinator
Kalub is the Move-In Coordinator for Strive at Fern Park. He is originally from Texas but made his move to Florida at 17-years-old to be closer to his mother. He graduated high school in 2012 and thought he had figured out what he wanted to do for his career. He started studying to become an attorney at 18 years old and made it to becoming a certified paralegal and notary and was at the Gordon law firm for 5 years. He decided to change careers and moved into the sales field with retail and then moved on to the restaurant industry. He is a jack of all trades as many people would say, he is meticulously organized and is passionate about the work that he does no matter what position he is in. He is new to his senior living career but feels that the possibilities in this career path are endless. His main goal in life is to help people live the best life they can, and he has found that senior living is the best fit for what he wants to do. His hobbies include training horses, swimming, and cooking for big family parties. Family is the most important thing to Kalub it means everything to him, which is why he has chosen Strive, we are one big family.
Matt Godfrey
Executive Chef
Growing up in a family that loves food, Matt Godfrey finds himself wanting to create food that his family will love, inspiring him to become a chef. In high school I excelled in a culinary arts course where I discovered my love and passion for food and my talent for preparation and presentation. This led to an after-school job in a local restaurant where I worked my way up from dishwasher/ busser to lead cook. Attended Lincoln culinary graduate top of his class. With fifteen years of professional experience in the kitchen, Matt Godfrey was born in the New England area. Was raised by a single mother of four. Trained in multiple cuisines and preparations and extremely knowledgeable of basic, advanced cooking techniques. Able to prioritize safety in the kitchen while upholding high standards for meals and ingredient preparation. Taking direction well can work under extreme pressure while maintaining a positive attitude. Passionate about the culinary industry. I cook from my heart and soul while creating all the dishes and using the skills and techniques I’ve acquired from my years of traveling. I especially enjoy sharing my talents in a more personal setting. When I’m not creating meals and memories, I’m spending time with my 8-year son.
Jodi Ferrente
Health & Wellness Coordinator
Jodi has been in the medical field for 20+ years working in various medical offices and health clinics. Most of her experience has been in the primary care setting, but worked in specialties such as Orthopedics, Nephrology, Diabetes, Endocrinology, Pediatrics and Home Hospice Nursing. She has been a supervisor for most of her career. Jodi was a clinical Manager for five years managing a large practice with 2 offices. Patient care for the elderly is most dear to her because she had a close connection with my grandparents. Jodi was fortunate enough to have all four grandparents until she was in her 30’s. Jodi is from Norwalk, Connecticut. She has been married to her husband Michael for 4 years in September. He is a manager and a bass player for a local band. She has three children, all of which are grown. Joe is 33 and married with 2 kids residing in Connecticut. Mikey is 29 who recently moved back to Florida. Shana is 26 with 2 small children residing in Cocoa Beach where she is a nurse at a skilled nursing facility. Jodi loves being a part of the Strive family and looking forward just wondering the residents and families in her new role in a capacity.
Let us show you around.
or give us a call at
407-848-1743
