A nursing home might not seem to be the first place a Millennial would envision starting a career, but for New Rochelle resident Christine Sanders, her job at United Hebrew, a nonprofit comprehensive-care organization that serves seniors, is the perfect fit. “I fell in love with it right away,” she says. “It almost seemed like a calling.”
While earning her master’s degree in healthcare management at Iona, Sanders joined the nursing home as an intern in 2012 and after graduation was hired as assistant to the president and CEO. Her experiences caring for her grandparents, with whom she lived in Queens before moving to Westchester, shaped her desire to help others. “Being a caregiver gives you a whole new respect for people who have to care for someone else,” Sanders says.
Sanders quickly proved herself indispensable and within three years earned a spot on the company’s executive team. She played an active role in the planning and administration of recently constructed Willow Gardens Memory Care, an assisted-living facility for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and Meadow Lane Apartments, an affordable-housing complex for seniors. She also led the development and implementation of a training program for WOW, United Hebrew’s culture-change initiative, which is focused on improving communication among the staff. Currently she is working on streamlining the organization’s purchasing system.
Her secret to getting so much done before her 30th birthday? “I don’t feel like my age limits me,” says Sanders. “I’m always willing to listen and take advice.”
