Foodservice Director
Five Star Senior Living Willow Pointe
Verona, Wis.
Age: 29
Most valued trait in a workplace:
Having a supportive, diverse culture. I work hard to reiterate we are all on the same team, and it makes everyone’s work easier and more fun when it’s a team effort.
Funniest on-the-job disaster:
I love this question because it reminds you that life happens and you have to have a good sense of humor. This reminds me of advice my mentor says: Be light and be a light.
Two of my funniest disasters have been both related to baking, so I’m not sure if the universe is trying to tell me to focus on just cooking. I was making a new recipe that I was excited about because it was my first self-created one, and as I checked it in the oven, it dawned on me that I forgot to put in the eggs that were sitting on the counter in front of me. The other, I couldn’t help but laugh when it came out of the oven: My chocolate flan, which I’ve made numerous times before, turned out like a complete puddle of chocolate. I still ate it anyway!
Future career goals:
Growing up on a farm, gardening and community food projects have always been an intense passion of mine. In the short term, I would like to be involved in more of a community initiative to create programs where seniors, young children and every age in between can learn about sustainable food and how to prepare food they grow. I’d like to continue that and develop a nonprofit for additional programs in healthy, local food projects. Being in Wisconsin, where it’s winter half of the year (or so it seems), finding ways to introduce greenhouses for community use is a long-term goal.
What drew you to noncommercial:
You can—and are encouraged—to develop and strengthen relationships with residents. Especially being in a smaller community, it allows for the personal aspect of being a part of every resident’s life story.