Photo courtesy of Amber Joiner.
Amber Joiner and her family
Amber Joiner with her husband, Alex, and sons Anson and Asher.
Q: Please tell our readers about yourself.
A: I’m 37 years old and a mother of two precious boys who are 6 and nearly 3. I have been happily married to my husband, Alex, for 11 years. We have two sons, Anson and Asher. I am an occupational therapist.
Q: Where did you attend high school and college? What was your favorite thing about attending Auburn?
A: I graduated from Oak Mountain High School in 2007 and Auburn University in 2011. Some of my best memories are tailgating and going to football games. Auburn won a national championship that year, so that only added to the excitement! I created an amazing core friend group during these college years and still maintain most of these friendships today, as well as met my husband during this time, and look back at these times as some of the best times of my life! I then went on to graduate school for occupational therapy at UAB.
Q: Why did you decide to go into healthcare, particularly occupational therapy? What are the most rewarding aspects of your career?
A: I decided to go into occupational therapy due to my desire to help individuals, specifically older adults, live as independently as possible with the highest quality of life. I really enjoy having the opportunity to develop relationships with the patients I work with and utilize my knowledge to develop interventions to help patients meet their individualized goals.
Q: Why did you and your husband decide to raise your family in the Oak Mountain area?
A: My husband and I both enjoyed growing up in the Indian Springs area and had a positive experience during our years at Oak Mountain. We both felt like we received an excellent education and wanted the same for our children.
Q: What are the most important lessons you hope your sons learn as they grow up?
A: One of the most important lessons I hope my sons learn as they grow older, and I work hard to instill in them, is the importance of always being kind and empathetic to others. This world can be a cruel place, and I want my boys to be a bright light for someone who needs it.
Q: What is something that people may not know about you? Do you have a hidden talent?
A: I’m not sure you would really say this is a hidden talent, but when I had my oldest son six years ago, I knew I would want nice portraits of him done frequently but did not want to pay the prices of a photographer. Therefore, I invested in a nice camera, and from the help of a good friend and YouTube, I became comfortable taking pictures of him multiple times during the year. I now enjoy photography so much that I take portraits for families on the side as well as still take pictures of both of my sons all during the year — much more than they would like!
Q: What are your hobbies or favorite things to do?
A: Some of the things I enjoy most are low-key days with my husband and boys at the park/playground, as well as going out to eat and shopping with my girl friends. I also really enjoy decorating my home and other people’s homes and could spend hours doing it!
Q: What is next for you and your family?
A: My family and I plan to stay in our current home in the Oak Mountain area for many years to come. We would love to do more traveling in the next few years, including a trip to Disney World.
