Activities Director Amanda Condrin Follows Her Passion
Six months ago Amanda Condrin “took the leap” and left her 9-5 office job. Today she has an exciting career as an Activities Director at Edelweiss Village. While Amanda previously held three executive positions at two growing companies, she intuitively knew she wasn’t thriving in that environment. After looking for similar jobs, Amanda became discouraged, unsure about the direction of her career. But fate intervened and, in November 2021, Amanda accepted the Director of Activities position at Edelweiss Village Assisted Living. She has never looked back.
Born in in Dover, Massachusetts, Amanda, a self-described home-body, lives with her mom, dad, sister, and adorable black and white Shin Tzu. Always a creative spirit, Amanda showcased her talent as a painter, specifically oil painting landscapes and mountain scenes. Her true lifelong passion, however, is dancing. “I started dancing as soon as I could walk,” said Amanda. “In school, I danced competitively and, to this day, I dance as often as I can. It is a great way to release stress and be my truest self.”
A graduate of Bentley University, Amanda interned at Hill Holliday, a large Boston based advertising agency. After college she worked in a variety of positions for local up-and-coming ad agencies. Although she was promoted and did well, she began to question if she should make a career change.
Amanda realized she had always enjoyed helping people. She recalled that when her grandmother was a resident at Edelweiss Village Assisted Living, Amanda enjoyed volunteering to help assisted residents who had Alzheimer’s and dementia. What she wanted –and ultimately found at Edelweiss Village – was work that impacted others. ”I wanted to feel as though my work was making a difference and improving someone else’s life,” explained Amanda. “I never imagined that there was a place for me in eldercare given my business background. Initially I was intimidated because I thought my only “in” to working with this demographic was by going back to school to become a nurse or a CNA.” Added Condrin, “ In retrospect, I am so happy to be able to do this kind of work and use the skillsets I gained from my previous positions.”
Renato de Leon, Executive Director of Edelweiss Village, believes Amanda is a tremendous asset to the assisted living. ”Although Amanda’s professional expertise was not solely within the senior living sector,” explained Renato, “we recognized her potential value to our community and in fact, Amanda has been a wonderful addition to our team, helping to enrich the lives of our residents.”
Today, Amanda enjoys the full support –and sometimes envy –of her family and friends in terms of her current career. “I am lucky to be surrounded with such an encouraging and supportive network,” reflected Amanda. “Moreover, I think they have also seen a huge lift in my mood and mental health at the end of the day.” For Amanda, her job is all about the people. As she noted, “Every day I see evidence that people really care for each other. The residents, staff and families have such wonderful relationships. It is like one big happy family!”
Getting to know the residents and their families is another key advantage. As Amanda explained, “I learn about their interests and hobbies, I hear stories about when they were growing up, and I get to plan creative activities tailored specifically to the residents. In return, they teach me so much about life!”
Growing up, Amanda’s dad was fond of telling her, “Find a job you love and it will never feel like work. Follow your passions and you will excel in what you are doing.” With her current job as Activities Director of Edelweiss Village, Amanda did exactly that. “The joy I feel at the end of each day is something I never thought I could find from work,” admitted Amanda. “I can honestly say I truly love my job.”
Amanda's art project with residents.
Amanda dancing with an Edelweiss Village resident.
Amanda with an Edelweiss Village Resident