January champion of the month, Carol Stenstrom, has been a valued member of the Rise team for nine years. Carol brings her experience with light assembly and hand bindery work to her role as Warehouse Supervisor at our Spring Lake Park production facility.

The role is a natural fit for Carol, who takes pride in working on organization projects around the warehouse in addition to supporting the people she serves. While there is no shortage of opportunities in manufacturing, Carol chooses to bring her skills to Rise because she enjoys making a difference. “I like the feeling that I’m doing some good for other people instead of just pulling in a paycheck,” she shares. “I like working with the persons served and helping to make each day a good one for them.”

Carol is regarded by her fellow Rise team members as kind, helpful, patient, and team oriented. One team member says that Carol is “such a caring and kind person with a huge heart. She has a wonderful work ethic and is very dedicated to Rise and the people we support.” Another colleague shares that even on her busiest workdays, Carol takes time to offer support and instruction to the people we serve “by watching them work and then suggesting ways that will help the person do the job better, faster, or easier.”

While Rise’s industrial services scale down in preparation for our move to community-based services at the end of March, Carol’s work is especially impactful. “With the constant moving parts, Carol has had to be receptive to changes and doing things she would normally not do,” a colleague says. “She has certainly embraced the changes and been a huge player in getting things done.” This change in our services has been a massive undertaking, with team members like Carol leading the way forward with dedication and resilience.

Outside of work, you can find Carol enjoying time with her beloved pets, a cat and three ferrets.