Joan Benson Walking in Emory's Graduation Procession

On Sunday, May 12, Mrs. Joan Benson, who has lived at Park Springs in Stone Mountain since 2010, will receive the Corpus Cordis Aureum medal - Latin for The Golden Corps of the Heart.

It is awarded to alumni who graduated 50 or more years ago. Since 2004 approximately 700 have received this medal. Then, on Monday, May 13, she and other recipients will lead the procession at Emory University's graduation ceremony.

Joan Benson, a native Atlantan who was born at Emory Hospital and lived in Decatur all her childhood, received her Bachelor's Degree in Science and her RN from Emory in 1951. After graduation, she worked as an RN at Georgia Baptist Hospital in labor and delivery. Then, she spent a year at Sewanee (Tennessee) as the only RN in the very small hospital there while her husband attended theology school.  

For the next 15 years she was a full time mom raising three children before returning to her profession and working at both the state and federal level in maternal and child health.

She spent the last ten years of her career in Florida in the insurance industry, conducting medical audits in hospitals for both Blue Cross and Prudential Insurance.

At Park Springs, Joan is a very active Member. She has served on the Health and Wellness Committee for the past three years, is a Mixed Chorus participant, an Art at Park Springs hostess, a Good Neighbor hostess, has performed in the Christmas musical for two years, acts in Park Springs’ annual play and has taken part in the Wellness Challenge for two years.