“A few months ago, I was able to read “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss to the 2-year-old children in Room 5,” said Christina Eakes, Human Resources Specialist. “It was awesome because you could tell some of them knew the story I was reading to them. They were so happy to have me be there and I was happy that I was able to take a part in participating.”
“In a million years, I didn’t think that I would ever be able to read in front of a group of anyone, let alone children,” she said. “I say that because since working here, I have gained a ton of confidence in myself and my public speaking has improved ten-fold. I have all of my co-workers and different experiences I’ve had to thank for that!”
Christina is not a teacher, social worker or therapist. She is Rainbows’ Human Resources Specialist and embodies the Rainbows’ Guiding Principles to “Make children and families our highest priority” and “Be responsible stewards of our assets and resources”.
Christina has a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Services Management and Community Development and a certificate in Human Resources from Wichita State University. She began her career working as a Human Resources Coordinator at Axiom Healthcare Services. “That was my first HR job and where I learned that I really wanted to work in this field to ensure that we were making the right decisions regarding hiring and ultimately, giving clients and families the best help possible,” said Christina.
“One day I was looking on Indeed and saw the job posting for this position,” said Christina. “When I went to the website and began learning more about Rainbows United, the Mission Statement really aligned with what I wanted to accomplish. You see all of the great pictures and stories that get posted, and I felt I wanted to be a part of an organization like that.”
“The thing about working in HR is that no day is ever the same,” said Christina. “I really enjoy that there is so much variety. My day could simply be answering emails and phone calls, completing projects, onboarding new hires, or working in Kronos quite a bit. Instead there is always something different, like reading “Green Eggs and Ham”.”
“Christina is a wonderful asset to Rainbows,” said Gay Kimble, Vice President of Human Resources. “She is willing to jump in and do anything asked, while remaining positive and pleasant. She was instrumental this year in making all of the 2021 benefit enrollment changes happen, acting independently and conquering every detail. In addition, she’s a key part of our COVID-19 testing process, a process that has greatly improved the return to work time for staff who are affected. I greatly appreciate Christina’s work ethic, and enjoy having her on our HR team!”
“My favorite part of the job has been getting to know our incredible staff and learning more about the children we serve,” said Christina. “I love working here. I feel like I’m making a difference for my co-workers and all of the families and children we serve every single day.”
In 2021, Christina plans to pursue her SHRM – CP, Society for Human Resources Management-Certified Professional, certification. Some of her personal hobbies include fishing, reading, binge watching anything on Netflix or Hulu. She and her husband Alex also have a 90-pound dog named Panzer who keeps them on their toes. “Thankfully, he is not a puppy anymore, so no more shark teeth at least!” she laughed.
