Written by Myrna Merron

Four women from different backgrounds have forged careers at Carolina Meadows. Khin Aye, Marketing Coordinator; Jessica Bonilla, Executive Assistant to the CEO; Maribel Lugo, Resident Services Supervisor; and Sarah Salgado, The Café Assistant Manager, all started in Food Services.

Khin, Jessica and Maribel, although they didn’t know each other, began their journeys working as servers in The Fairways—all at the same time. Serendipitous! Khin’s family comes from Myannmar; Jessica’s family hails from El Salvador and Maribel’s background is Mexican—evidence of the diversity on the campus. Again, serendipitously, the three have followed the same trajectory on the way to their current positions. Following their stints as servers, they each looked for possibilities as job opportunities arose. And they followed each other as Receptionist, a position that requires multiple skills and is the face of the community. Residents rely on the Receptionist to answer a multitude of questions. They agree it is a good way to learn about the community. It especially requires people skills, which all have in abundance. From Receptionist, each served a stint in Resident Services, where Maribel is now Supervisor.

Sara, whose family background is also Salvadoran, initiated her Carolina Meadows experience in The Café. After spending some time there, meeting residents as she made delicious sandwiches and salads, she moved to the Bake Shop and Marketplace where she demonstrated her way with sandwich making. During the COVID lockdown of all eating venues, Sarah worked backstage helping to prepare the lunches and dinners that were delivered to residents. When The Café reopened, Sarah was drawn back to the venue where she enjoys engaging with residents and thinking of new ways to improve food and service. In 2014 she was the center of a celebration of her new United States citizenship.

To quote Khin, “I finally have a real career.” All happily concur.