About National

Success Stories

Ray of Sunshine

Aramark is very fortunate to have an employee like Sheena Washington, a graduate from the Charlottesville Campus. Dubbed “Sunshine” by the Director of Fontana Food Center Darryl Rudge, Sheena is a Unit Clerk for Aramark at the University of Virginia and has brought a ray of sunshine into the office that draws people in just to ‘bask in those rays’.

Sheena heard about National from a friend who was attending at the time. She decided to enroll and began classes in September 2005. She went on to finish in 2006 with a diploma in Business Administration and then in May 2007 with an associate degree in Business Management. However, these accomplishments did not come without challenges. While working her way through school, Sheena was a single mother to daughter Nickiya (now 4 years old) with one on the way. She gave birth to Quiniya (2) shortly after completing her final exams to receive her diploma.

She says “Because I knew what I wanted and was a focused individual, others stepped up to the plate to see that I complete my education. I couldn’t have done it without the help of family, friends, and my involvement with the church.” She went on to say, “While it was a challenge having two small children and going to school, it made me stronger and more determined to do what I needed to do to ensure a better future for myself and my daughters.”

Sheena credits much of what she’s able to do at Aramark with the skills and training she received from National. To her credit, she suggested using Microsoft Office Access, a program she learned while attending National, to streamline the ordering process between her office and the satellite offices. She currently uses Access in her day-to-day operations. With the responsibility of processing invoices, inputting orders, managing employees’ time and assisting with inventory maintenance, Sheena is always looking for ways to ensure the office is being managed efficiently. “She’s come a long way,” says Mr. Rudge. “The work Sheena does is the collection of everyone else’s. If she is a representation of the types of students that graduate from National College, then the College is doing a good thing.”