If life rarely follows a straight line, Mount Evans Home Health Care & Hospice’s director of volunteers and events, Lori Carpenter, is living proof that change is good.

Growing up in Costa Mesa, California, young Lori’s road was wide and level and pointed directly at a bright horizon. She was a cheerleader at Costa Mesa High School, and a member of the swim team. On her own time, she did exactly what was expected of kids in sunny SoCal.

“I hung out at the beach a lot,” Lori smiles. “I still miss being near the water.”

From an early age, Lori aspired to a career in psychology. She enrolled at the University of Northern Arizona and continued right on course.

“Flagstaff is a lot like Evergreen,” she says. “It’s where I was introduced to mountains, and snow, and seasons.”

Graduating with a psychology degree and a minor in business, Lori was forging ahead toward a master’s diploma when her path took an unexpected turn. Offered a job in the mortgage industry, she found the work both agreeable and well compensated, and she steered straight ahead into finance. That path eventually led to marriage, a comfortable house in San Diego, a fine son and a fine daughter, and a challenging new calling that demanded far more of her than her mortgage career, but offered far sweeter rewards.

“I was a stay-at-home mom, and I loved it.”