Our Rise Changemaker Stories celebrate team members who shifted careers and found new purpose.

Starting a new career wasn’t something Sarah Gustafson expected, but it turned out to be exactly what she needed.

Sarah’s first career was in the arts. She spent 15 years teaching piano and violin before a shoulder injury forced her to step away from playing. That shift led her to management roles in retail, first at Barnes & Noble in Maple Grove, where she frequently hired and worked with team members supported by Rise’s Minnesota Employment Center (MEC). Later, she joined the Co-Op in Anoka, where she continued partnering with MEC to hire new employees. When the Co-Op closed, Sarah was once again at a career crossroads.

A family member suggested she consider applying at Rise. “I applied for two jobs—one as a DSP and one as a vocational evaluator,” she recalls. “But we settled on an Employment Consultant role, and it’s been wonderful. If it hadn’t been for that injury, I probably wouldn’t have made the switch. I’ve loved every job since.”

Sarah started at Rise in December 2016, working on a grant program that helps people who have not been previously considered for employment find jobs in the community. The expectations were modest. Placing just two people in the first year was considered a success. Sarah exceeded that goal. Four people secured jobs in her first year, and that number doubled the following year.

Her background in retail management gave her an edge in understanding employers’ perspectives. “Most employers aren’t worried about whether a person with a disability can do the job. They’re worried about how they’ll communicate with them if something comes up. That’s where an Employment Consultant can be useful to bridge the gap. I made it a point to always be available and visible. It showed employers that they could count always on me.”

Earlier this year, Sarah transitioned into a new role, leading Rise’s pilot program for people with disabilities who are eligible to retire from the workforce. The program supports participants as they explore life enrichment activities and work to build connections in their own communities.

“Many of the people we’ve supported in employment are in their 60s and 70s now,” she explains. “We’re encouraging them to try new things, like taking a day off for fishing or joining a senior group in their town. As a former employment consultant, I have the skills to support them in
making those connections and then stepping back to let them become more independent.”

The program offers both individual activities and group experiences, and eventually, we could create a dedicated life enrichment location focused specifically on retirement and life enrichment services for older adults with disabilities. “It’s exciting because nothing like this has really been done before in our area,” Sarah says. “We’re learning as we go, and it’s meaningful work.”

For anyone considering a career change, Sarah has simple advice: “I think people would love to work here. If you’ve already had a career, you bring so much to the table just from life experience alone.”

She also emphasizes Rise’s supportive environment. “When I started, I didn’t know what to do, but there was always someone I could ask. The training is excellent, and the people we support make every day interesting. You’re constantly learning something new.”