Devon Carvajal’s journey with water began in a somewhat silly way.

“When I first learned how to swim, my parents said I would actually dunk the other kids underwater,” Carvajal chuckled. “That was how I first learned.”

From then on, no one could get Carvajal out of the water. She spent every moment she could swimming at the community pool and floating carefree in the ocean on family vacations.

This early memory is what would later set the stage for a lifelong passion for swimming and helping others discover the joy and benefits of being in the water. Even though her plunge into the water was reluctant when her parents made her get a summer job as a lifeguard at Mary Jo Peckham Aquatic & Fitness Center at 17, Carvajal knew she was home.

“Since I first started working here, I always knew that I wanted to be a manager of this place,” Carvajal said. “I’ve loved it that long.”

Aspirations fulfilled, Carvajal has enjoyed over 26 years at Mary Jo Peckham. She has lead her dedicated team of instructors and trainers to transform residents’ lives through aquatic fitness classes such as arthritis aquatics, water aerobics, and swim lessons for all ages.

Carvajal is a “fixer”, she said, never wanting anyone to leave the Center the same. From center-goers that suffer with physical ailments, to others seeking a deepened sense of community, she commits to ensuring everyone feels cared for and better than when they walked in.

“So many people come here because they’re hurting. So many people come here because they lack community,” Carvajal said. “[But here,] I’ve seen complete strangers maintain friendships for years, and people get healed by the water. They come in, grow and learn to do things they otherwise thought they wouldn’t have been capable of doing ... I’m proud to see their progress and their healing.”

Mary Jo Peckham Aquatic & Fitness Center’s doors never seem to close: families and residents can be seen coming in all throughout the day to enjoy open swim, mini-golf, and even the sight of ducks that gather in the outdoor pavilions.

After working at the Center for so long, Carvajal says this magic has endured—this energized atmosphere is why the Center so beloved after all.

As she reflects on her early beginnings as a teenage lifeguard to now, she can’t stop admiring the staff who have committed tireless hours and care to empower residents to live their healthiest lives; who, to some, Carvajal has even given swim lessons to when they were children. Carvajal gets overwhelmed with emotion thinking of the team who have also become family to her throughout the years.

“I could not do what I do if it wasn’t for them,” Carvajal said, cheeks peppered with tears “[Mary Jo Peckham] is the way that it is because of them. They are the heart of this place and I love them all.”  

Carvajal is looking forward to spending many more years at Mary Jo Peckham Aquatic & Fitness Center and is excited to bring even more classes and residents through its doors.

“We feel empowered with Commissioner [Lesley] Briones to expand programming at Mary Jo Peckham. It’s just gives us more opportunities to transform and save the lives of our residents and show people the power of water,” Carvajal said.