Katlyn Vanderweyden – Female Employee Spotlight of December

What motivates you to wake up and go to work?
I genuinely enjoy what I do, I enjoy being outside and being physically active on a daily basis.

What do you do at our company?
I work at the hospital as an 'onsite' this means I stay at one location and take care of anything that comes up during the day and perform daily property maintenance.

What has been your favourite project so far?
I've always enjoyed planting annuals. Helping lay them out and watering them throughout the season, I'm always so impressed with how much character they add to the hospital and people absolutely love them.

What’s something most people don’t know about you?
Growing up I wanted to be a chef. As a kid I used to always watch the Food Network. I later discovered I enjoyed growing peanut plants more than I enjoyed cooking. LOL

How do you balance your career and your family/personal life?
In the summer it's quite easy to balance both personal and work life. But in the winter on the other hand, the balance can be very challenging. With working a designated Monday to Friday shift plus call in 'snow events' overnight it can get busy. I think being present while at home is key and keeping that separation between work and home life.

What advice would you give to other women in the industry?
Don't give up. Everybody has bad days if it's something you're passionate about see it through.

What does a typical day of work look like for you?
A typical day in the summer looks like a variety of different things. Anywhere from cutting and trimming, to weeding and cultivating, and a little bit of watering in there as well. In the winter I'm on an ice patrol shift. This consists of going around the hospital making sure that parking lots and entrances are free of ice and snow. Overall making sure it's safe for staff and patients. I also drive a little John Deere sidewalk tractor and plow the walks during snow events.

What are three words you would use to describe Clintar?
Welcoming, safe, and successful

What do you find most rewarding/challenging about your role?
One thing I find rewarding about my role is I have a lot of freedom when it comes to decisions being made about tasks that need to be completed. Obviously, my supervisor oversees everything but for the most part I plan out the day and decide what needs to get done first.

If given the chance, who would you be for a day?
Why would I want to be anyone but myself?

If you could interview one person (dead or alive) who would it be and why?
I would love to be able to interview my grandma. She was my rock, she always kept me grounded. To be able to ask her any question and actually write it down would be incredible. I'm sure I could write a book about her life and everything she's experienced. She was an amazing woman.

What would you like to be famous for?
I would like to be Clintar famous. To be known as the woman that empowered other women to do anything they set their minds to, especially while working in a very male dominated industry. To set an example for new employees and to show them that there's no reason to be afraid of that 924k loader. If I can do it anyone can do it. And to encourage women to take those risks. Ask for more training, ask those questions, do whatever it takes to make yourself comfortable and confident.

What inspires/motivates you?
This is going to sound really cheesy but, if doing my job to the very best of my ability can bring some sort of peace, or comfort to someone who is sick. That's what motivates me. For somebody to walk through the Franklin Garden or the Alex Butterfly Garden and to have one of those gardens remind them of home or a happy memory. That's a job well done in my books.

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