For 26 years, Clarissa Ayala worked in human resources for Verizon. But in 2020, she decided to switch industries.
“I wanted to do something where I felt like I was helping to make a difference rather than working in the big corporate world,” she said.
One month after she began working as an office assistant at our Wagon Road Camp in Chappaqua, the office shut down. Instead of receiving training and helping to organize our respite program – an overnight camping experience for developmentally delayed children – Clarissa was forced to work from home.
She was also the first person to come back into the office and lend her services to other departments that needed help with administrative and human resources duties. Clarissa, who describes herself as someone who enjoys organizing, is always looking for ways to make tasks more efficient.
“I’m always trying to think of different ways to make things easier and smoother,” she said. “I’m about the details. I find that little piece of the puzzle that I think helps.”
Vince Canziani, the director of Wagon Road, said Clarissa is exactly who he needs to make sure the camp runs efficiently.
“I cannot imagine getting anything done without Clarissa holding my feet to the fire,” he said. “She is exactly what I needed because her approach toward the work is she’s looking to make sure all the details are completed and how we communicate to the staff. Her attention to detail allows me to get done what needs to be done.”
While she has reorganized the Wagon Road offices, Vince jokes that his office is off limits because of its organized chaos.
“It’s easy to get along with her, and she’s friendly, and people love her,” he said. “What more could you want from somebody you work with?”
Jesika Casado, the operations manager for our Youth Division, said Clarissa made an immediate impact on her team when she began working with them in summer 2020.
“Once she understood the bigger picture, she quickly began to make suggestions on how we can track some of the work and she began problem solving fairly quickly, which made things go much smoother,” she said. “During this time most of the agency was working remote, and without prior relationships, Clarissa was able to dive in and make connections with staff that she never worked with in the past.”
For Clarissa, who is now the office manager, the best part of the job is serving the staff who work directly with young people.
“It’s office work, but it does feel like you’re helping the social workers here,” she said. “You feel like you’re making their lives easier. The end result is the kids, making it easier for them.”
