Ask Carlos Diaz, maintenance supervisor at Rogerson Communities’ Farnsworth House, what’s most important to him, and he won’t miss a beat: “Opportunity.” 

Finding and building on opportunities have played a large role in shaping Carlos’s life, starting in 1989 with a journey to the United States from Guatemala, where he was born and raised. Though trained as a diesel mechanic, he initially took whatever work he could find in the Greater Boston area, from poultry processor to construction welder, in order to pay rent and save some money. Within a year he was serving part-time as a maintenance worker at the former Polaroid headquarters in Waltham; that’s when someone told him about a similar position with full-time hours opening up at Rogerson Communities. He leapt at the opportunity. 

A few days into the standard 90-day trial period, he says, his new Rogerson supervisor was satisfied — he had the job. Though his original plan had been to return to his diesel mechanic work in Guatemala after saving enough money, Rogerson showed Carlos a new possibility. 

“That’s when my mind changed completely,” he recalls. “I have more opportunities here. That’s a great thing that this country gives us, all immigrants, when we have the chance to try to do our best.” 

He spent several years working at various Rogerson properties, including Farnsworth House and Rogerson House in Jamaica Plain, as well as Roslindale House. His next big break came in 2004 when he was offered the position of live-in plant manager at Farnsworth, a 75-unit residence for older adults. 

“It’s a good neighborhood,” Carlos says of the location. “Quiet, safe. The bus stop is there in the front, the pharmacy is just three blocks from here. You want to go downtown, there’s the Forest Hills T station, it’s not far. There are restaurants — Mexican, Chinese, pizza, whatever you want.” 

But it’s not just the ideal location and plentiful opportunities that have kept Carlos here for more than 20 years. The kindness and compassion of the Rogerson community have impressed him deeply, starting with the property manager who hired him at Farnsworth House, Dean Collatta. Carlos remembers him fondly. 

“He always was very polite. He always said, when a job needed to be done, ‘When you have a chance, Carlos — no hurry.’ When people are polite, something happens inside you, and you say, why not do it? I tried to do my best for him.” 

Amy Cooper, Resident Services Coordinator for Farnsworth House, has noticed how Carlos takes that kind of courtesy and gives it right back to the community.  

“He passes that on to us, his co-workers and the residents, in the way that he treats us. Even if something’s not his job, he’ll come in and help out, like if someone’s having difficulty communicating with a resident, he’ll help with translation, or make a phone call for somebody. We work best when we work as a team.” 

Rogerson’s Director of Facilities Daryl Ramdehal echoes that sentiment as well, adding that Carlos has been a mentor and a trainer to various staff over the years. “His knowledge and experience have helped develop these individuals for advancement and future opportunities — both inside and outside the organization.” 

During his time at Rogerson, Carlos has seized every opportunity given to him to learn new skills, take on new responsibilities, and find new ways to contribute, even becoming friends with residents and acting as a confidant and sounding board for them. Those aren’t typical roles for a someone in his position, but for Carlos, they’re new opportunities to better help the community. 

“We need to be open for everyone, in every situation,” he says. “When you say ‘it’s not my job’ you’re putting limits on what you do, and for me that’s not good. Now I have more responsibilities — I have to deal with vendors, I’m learning the computer. But I don’t feel that in a bad way, I feel it in a good way. I never lose the desire to try to learn more.”