Cristo Rey Students Learn the Business of Senior Living at Lenbrook
Associates Share Business Skills; Residents Share Life’s Wisdom
ATLANTA, (Jan. 11, 2017) Cristo Rey sophomore Sydney Taylor awakes at 5 a.m. every weekday to catch Marta in Lithonia and arrive at Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School in Midtown by 7:15 a.m. Fellow students Edward Cervantes, Camila Morales, and Zaire Williamson keep similarly challenging schedules.
These four highly motivated students fit five days of high school into four so they can work one day a week as an intern at the Lenbrook senior life plan community in Buckhead. It’s all a part of Cristo Rey’s unique Corporate Work Study Program for its students.
This is Lenbrook’s second year of participating in the Corporate Work Study Program, which helps the school’s economically challenged students offset the cost of their tuition. “The student interns bring so much joy and energy to our community, in addition to the jobs they perform,” said Felecia Sveda, Vice President of Operations-Hospitality for Lenbrook. The interns work alongside Lenbrook associates in Marketing, Human Resources, Enrichment, Concierge, and the Health Center.
Sveda adds that the future for careers in senior living is bright. “Every seven seconds another baby boomer turns 50. In just 15 more years, one in five U.S. residents will be 65 and older. The opportunity for jobs in senior living, whether it’s on the hospitality services side or healthcare side, is exploding,” Sveda said. “We’re grateful for this special opportunity to introduce students to this growing and rewarding field that otherwise might go unnoticed.”
Lenbrook incorporates an additional component of learning to its interns’ schedules with “Mentoring Mondays.” Each student is paired with a resident for lunch when they work on a Monday. This gives them the opportunity to get know each other and glean insights into life’s wisdom from different perspectives — from the students who are planning ahead for college and careers and the older adults who have successfully navigated a full range of life’s journeys. More than 500 seniors live at Lenbrook, each with a unique life story filled with helpful hints to share.
About Lenbrook (Lenbrook-Atlanta.org)
Lenbrook is the first and only senior life plan community in Atlanta to achieve national accreditation by CARF. Founded in 1983 and doubling its size in 2008, this not-for-profit senior living community in Buckhead enables its residents to enjoy the gifts of independence, good health and personal fulfillment through engaging programs and services. Its award-winning facilities also offer the security and convenience of excellent on-site, Medicare-certified healthcare services. Visit www.lenbrook-atlanta.org or call 404-233-3000 for more information.