126 Years of Family Serving Family – Amaryllis and Anais Goburn, Fort Riley
One in a series honoring the Exchange’s 126 years of family serving family
More than 18 years ago, Amaryllis Goburn started as a softlines associate at the Vogelweh Exchange, working on the weekends while attending the University of Maryland-Manheim Campus in Germany.
Amaryllis’ father, Sgt. Aurelio Goburn, served in the Marine Corps for six years. When his time in uniform ended, he worked in his home country Panama for the Department of Defense—transferring with the department to Germany in 1999.
While living off-post in Germany with their parents, Amaryllis and her four younger siblings attended Kaiserslautern American High School. Her three younger brothers later worked for the Exchange as associates in Power Zone, hardlines and the men’s department. Her little sister, Anais, began her Exchange career in the food court.
“She always talked about how much she liked her job,” Anais said. “We just followed in her footsteps.”
When their family relocated to Kansas five years later, Amaryllis and Anais returned to the Exchange, working in the main store at Fort Riley.
“I enjoy and appreciate the diversity within the job,” Anais said. “I get to meet people from all around the world, and the opportunities for career growth are here, too.”
As Panama natives, Amaryllis and Anais speak both Spanish and English, helping to bridge the language barrier between shoppers and associates.
“We make sure our shoppers feel comfortable and get the best service,” Anais said. “Sometimes we’ll have a shopper who speaks Spanish, and they get excited that we can assist them in their native language.”
Over the last 17 years, Amaryllis progressed from a part-time softlines associate to managing the Main Post Express store and hospital annex at Fort Riley. Anais, with 15 years of service, grew from a food court associate to the stockroom manager at Fort Riley Exchange’s main store.
“Both Amaryllis and Anais go above and beyond every single day,” said Fort Riley Exchange General Manager Jermaine Wilson. “They work hand in hand and are exceptional at what they do.”
Amaryllis and Anais speak fondly of the family culture at Fort Riley Exchange.
“When I had my first daughter, my parents would bring her to the store during my lunch break,” Anais said. “The managers and other associates were always welcoming. When my daughter was old enough to walk and run, she would run over to some of the team and hug them when she visited the store. It meant a lot to me.”
“Our co-worker, Chong Tracey, would always give my niece candy when my parents brought her to visit us,” Amaryllis said. “Chong was a very supportive teammate. She had 30 years of service with the Exchange. The team got together and placed a plaque in her honor by the employee entrance after she passed away.”
Their father passed away in December 2021. His daughters cite his influence as their inspiration.
“I showed him my new work name tag a few months ago. It mentions how I’m connected to the military,” Amaryllis said. “He saw ‘Marine daughter’ under my name and was very proud to see that. At work I always think ‘How would I have wanted my dad to be treated while shopping at the Exchange?’ The men and women in our stores serve the country proudly, and we must serve them and their families proudly in return.”
