CALA News & Views | Issue 54 | Impact

Innes McFarlane, Sales Director, Carlton Senior Living, Davis CSU, Sacramento: BS, Gerontology Attended 2019 Fall Conference

I received the scholarship and attended CALA while a student at California State University, Sacramento studying Gerontology. It was a great opportunity to meet various company leaders and get exposed to the world of Assisted Living. I met Dave Coluzzi and Lisa Schumann during my experience, and they offered me a position at their community in Sacramento. I started with Carlton Senior Living Sacramento as a care partner, completed their internship program, where I worked every line position, and then went on to be the sales director at their Davis location. I have been with Carlton since attending CALA, and I have grown significantly in my career. It may not have happened so quickly without the relationships I made. I am thankful for the opportunity I got to meet executives who have continued to champion my success.

Hayley Morales, Brand Content Specialist, Carlton Senior Living Cal Poly San Luis Obispo: BS, Applied Nutrition Attended 2016 Fall Conference

When I attended the CALA conference in 2016 on scholarship, I didn’t realize just how much it would shape the course of my career. I already knew I enjoyed working with seniors, but the conference gave me a deeper appreciation for the impact of this work and the people who make it possible. Since then, I’ve been able to grow, learn from incredible mentors and be supported through many life changes, both personally and professionally. I’ll always be grateful that CALA played a role in helping me find a career and company I love – one that will only become more important as more seniors than ever before are in need of care and connection.

Gianni Amari, Executive Director, Carlton Senior Living, Fremont Sonoma State: BBA, Marketing Attended 2023 Spring Conference

Attending the CALA conference on a scholarship was a turning point in my career. It was there that I was first introduced to Carlton Senior Living, which led to my initial role with the company as a sales director and ultimately to my current position as executive director. The conference not only opened the door to these opportunities but also provided lasting connections and insights that continue to guide my work today. I am truly grateful for the scholarship program and the profound impact it has had on my professional growth.

Attending the CALA conference through the scholarship program granted me the opportunity to learn about the senior living profession as a college student. My biggest takeaways were the connections I was able to make through attending educational sessions where I was surrounded by professionals and the relationships I established with fellow scholarship recipients as we continue to develop our careers in senior living together. Through being able to directly speak with senior living professionals, I was able to build a network of supportive connections, and this allowed me to obtain a caregiving position at one of my local senior living communities. Thank you to the CALA team for creating a fruitful pathway of opportunities for passionate scholarship recipients attending your senior living conferences and especially, the CALA members that support the scholarship program that provides students with career influencing experiences. Allen Baldazo, Medtech, Brookdale Senior Living West Coast University: Pursuing BSN, Will be doing his clinical internship with Continuing Life Attended 2025 Spring Conference

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