10 December . 2015
Fun is job one for Sweetwater’s Lifestyle Coordinator
With six years of experience as an eighth-grade teacher, a love of sports and two small kids of her own, Sweetwater resident Bess Ouahidi has the perfect background for her job as Sweetwater’s Lifestyle Coordinator.
Bess knows how to make sure residents of all ages have fun and enjoy getting to know each other. And if they’re not careful, this former science teacher might just slip in a lesson or two on fun subjects like stargazing and photography.
Bess and her family were among the first residents to move to Sweetwater, giving them time to experience annual traditions such as the Sweetwater Wildflower Festival, the Easter Egg Hunt and Breakfast with Santa before she took over her duties in late 2015.
Before she became the creative force behind Sweetwater’s events, Bess experienced how these events helped her family quickly feel at home after they had relocated from Oklahoma.
“The events are like magic in the way they help neighbors get to know each other. Whether they’ve lived here one year or one month, residents quickly realize that they live so close to each other, and that they have things in common, like kids who are the same age,” she says.
Bess works hard to make sure Sweetwater residents of all ages enjoy plenty of opportunities to socialize. Big events such as the Wildflower Festival and Fall Festival attract residents of all ages. Other activities are offered for certain groups of residents, such as Teen Night, Ladies’ Night and Men’s Night. There’s also Storytime for toddlers, and couples’ nights throughout the year.
A growing number of classes and activities are offered to help residents of all ages get fit, stay in shape and enjoy the great outdoors at Sweetwater. These include yoga, Zumba, Camp Gladiator, Bollywood Fitness and Soccer Shots.
Bess is constantly exploring ideas for new activities, especially ones that help residents get the most out of Sweetwater’s beautiful Hill Country environment.
Two of the newest offerings included a three-night series of photography lessons, perfectly timed to help residents capture memories of the acres of spring wildflowers at Sweetwater. Another new series, Stargazing & S’mores, features a planetary geologist who helped residents enjoy and explore the dazzling night sky above Sweetwater.