From September 15 to October 15, we are joining the nation in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, a month which honors the diverse cultures of Americans whose ancestors represent countries in Central and South America, the islands of the Caribbean, Mexico, and Spain. During this time, Crothall Healthcare wants to shine a spotlight on our Hispanic team members and the amazing work they do, day in and day out.
Sonia Maldonado is one such team member, an associate who has been with Crothall for nearly 20 years, and whose contributions and story reflect the goals of our organization. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Sonia moved to Brooklyn, NY at the age of 15, shortly before becoming a young single mother at 16. While the circumstances were difficult, being a new mother in a new place, Sonia had always been motivated and rose to the challenge for herself and her son. She made the difficult decision to drop out of high school and begin working to support her son.
She gained experience working in retail, then spent four years with a substance abuse program. When she lost this position, she reached out to a close friend who worked for Morrison Healthcare—it just so happened that an administrative EVS position was open with Crothall at that same account. Sonia was hired and given a year in which to obtain her GED. Undeterred, she instead earned her GED within weeks of the interview, and her career with Crothall began.
As a young Latina woman leading teams predominantly comprised of men, Sonia often had to work harder to earn the respect and trust of the teams she managed. However, with each passing day she learned to love her position, becoming used to the daily rush and the fact that there was always something new to tackle. She embraced the lessons she learned each day, and it wasn’t long before she became a director at a 200-bed facility in the Bronx.
Over her two decades with Crothall, Sonia has been a director at Elmhurst Hospital, Kings County Hospital, Atlantis Nursing Home, Mount Sinai, and JCMC. She is now a mother to two grown children, and has set her sights on her next goal: returning to school to obtain her B.A. She has overcome many challenges in her career, but Sonia wouldn’t have it any other way. Her heritage as a proud Boriqua and the adversity she has overcome has given her the ability to face any challenge that comes her way. The bigger the challenge, the more determined she is to succeed.
“I am very proud of being Puerto Rican and being able to say that Spanish is my first language,” Sonia says, “I want to continue to grow and be an example to young people that may be in the same situation I was — it doesn’t have to stop them from reaching their goals.”
The post Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight: Sonia Maldonado appeared first on Crothall Healthcare.