Sandee Amaro: Turning Her Passion to Help Others into an HR Career

Because Sandee Amaro had moments in school and work when she felt she wasn’t supported, she understands what it takes to provide employee support. She knows how important it is and how it can make a difference in someone’s life and an entire organization. That’s why her mission in HR is to make people feel seen and heard.

“I didn’t want to be the individual in my role that tells a new person ‘Here’s your desk. I’ll bring you work. Good luck,” Sandee said. “I wanted to make employees feel welcome. I wanted them to feel like they were already part of the team, and they had someone they could go to for support.”

Sandee took that sentiment and turned it into a successful career in human resources.

Finding Her Passion for Human Resources

Originally attending college for school counseling and education, Sandee would later find her way to human resources. She progressed through her studies and gained experience in schools, but she realized the career path didn’t quite fulfill her passion and goals.

Sandee made the decision to leave school and take a job at her local YMCA as an office assistant. It was in this role that she was asked to help with employee onboarding, record keeping, and other employment related responsibilities. What started as a learning opportunity quickly grew into a passion.

“At first, I didn’t know much about HR,” Sandee said. “But the more I helped, the more I enjoyed it.”

As she learned the behind-the-scenes work that helps organizations support their employees, Sandee began to see the impact HR professionals can have on people’s lives. It was why she went back to school to earn a bachelor’s degree in human resource management from Capella University.

Discovering Claremont Lincoln University

Sandee’s bachelor program sparked a drive in her to learn even more. After graduation, Sandee began work at Para Los Niños, a nonprofit organization that provides education and social services to families in the Los Angeles area. There, she met and worked with Christina Cantero. As the two became friends, Christina shared her story and told Sandee that she had earned a master’s in organizational leadership from Claremont Lincoln University.

“She would always talk about her great experience and how informative the courses were,” Sandee said. “I chose CLU because of that and all the positive feedback I read online.”

The university’s affordability, flexibility, and accessible staff were other reasons Sandee decided on CLU. Sandee said that from her first conversations with admissions representatives to interactions with financial aid and student support services, she felt welcomed and valued.

Applying the Claremont Core to Everyday Leadership

Throughout the program, Sandee developed new skills and strengthened existing ones, but some of her most meaningful learning experiences came through the Claremont Core. Sandee said that she believes its mindfulness and dialogue components had the greatest impact on both her personal and professional life.

“The core of mindfulness taught me to slow down, stop, and reflect,” she said. “It taught me to embrace what’s coming my way and make the best of it.”

And Sandee said that dialogue helped reshape the way she approaches communication. As an HR professional, Sandee regularly works with employees who bring different experiences, perspectives, and concerns to the table. The ability to be patient, listen, understand, and communicate respectfully has become her most valuable skillset.

“I may not always agree with my colleagues all the time,” she said, “but being able to communicate and understand one another in a respectful way is so important.”

Sandee sees a strong connection between the Claremont Core and the mission of Para Los Niños. She says their mission statement: “Passionate People, Powerful Impact” mirrors what she learned and experienced at CLU.

“People need to be passionate about what they do, and that passion creates a powerful impact on the communities we serve,” Sandee said. “At CLU, my instructors made an impact on me, and I could tell they were passionate about the work they did.

Looking Ahead in Human Resources

Today, Sandee serves as an HR Generalist at Para Los Niños, a position she was promoted to during her program at CLU. Now she supports onboarding, workers’ compensation, leave administration, audits, and many other HR functions.

Looking ahead, Sandee said she plans to expand her knowledge and continue to advance her career. Rather than limiting herself to one specialty, she wants to learn every aspect of the HR field and build skills to support employees and organizations at a higher level.

“I love HR. I love learning all of it,” Sandee said. “CLU motivated me and gave me the confidence that I can reach my goals.”

Sandee feels she’s found success because she’s grown both personally and professionally, and she has found a way to help others succeed. Through her commitment to learning, leadership, and compassion, she creates the kind of workplace experience she once felt was missing in her life.

Do you have a passion for helping others? HR provides abundant opportunities to help employees grow in their careers and make a positive impact. Explore Claremont Lincoln University’s online Master’s in Human Resources Management program. It can help you build the analytical, collaborative, and leadership skills you need to succeed in either the public or private HR sectors. Fill out the form at the bottom to learn more.