Ashlee Quintero, March’s “Making A Difference” Winner, contemplates the next set of foreboding storm clouds from the third-floor wall of windows at Vista Grande and voices aloud her plan for that first hike, of many to follow, once the most recent atmospheric river stops flowing.

Listening to her committing to appointments with a series of hiking trails, one realizes rather quickly that all those excursions will ultimately happen, even within the pockets of her very busy work weeks. Ashlee has long mastered the art of successfully mapping out any plan, assessing its viability, making the inevitable adjustments, and then placing fullest energies into its execution. 

In nominating Ashlee, Campus Dining Operations Manager, Cynthia Stocker, wrote:

“No matter who needs the help or when the help is needed, Ashlee consistently steps up to help everyone and anyone in Campus Dining. In addition to her extensive duties as the unit manager for Mustang Station, Red Radish, and Market UU, Ashlee will come in on her scheduled days off to assist with catering events, athletic concessions, Performing Arts concessions, and Starbucks. Ashlee inspires others with her incredible team spirit and amazing camaraderie with staff throughout Campus Dining and the Cal Poly campus community.”

At the end of the proverbial day, Ashlee says, she can’t imagine NOT going about the business the way she does.

She shares that her role-model grandmother ingrained in her an “Anything Worth Desiring Is Worth Laboring For” work ethic that led her to the supervisory and managerial stints she’s held non-stop since she was 15. She admits to a propensity for “overcommunicating” with her colleagues since her major concern is to always ensure that the one-piece in any given workflow process that COULD slip through the cracks…just doesn’t.

“Vibrant Home Life with Family” is also one of those important desires to which she commits her equally vibrant employment life: Asked what she was going to spend the $100 Gift Card she received for being named the March Making a Difference Winner, she smiles broadly and leans into stating that her eldest son, her “gym buddy” with whom she weightlifts, could sure use some new football cleats…

Congratulations, Ashlee!

Do you have a coworker who has been knocking it out of the park lately? Give them a shout out. Fill out a nomination form here and wax poetic about what they have been up to, how they inspire or why they make a difference. Remember to put both of your names on the form. 

At the end of the month all of the nominees will be collected and included in a drawing to win a $100 Visa gift card!