Employee Spotlight: Carolyn Verastigue – you can call her the friendly beekeeper or the easygoing Texan

IMG_2670Carolyn grew up as an only child in her hometown of Houston, Texas. “My mom, who is my rock and my hero raised me all on her own,” she says. “She was adamant about putting me in Catholic school and making sure I attended and completed college. Growing up, my passion in life was cheerleading which took up the majority of my time and kept me out of trouble,” she says.

“I attended Sam Houston State for college where I completed my Business Degree in Human Resources. While there, I held an internship at a staffing company and after one summer, I knew I wanted to be a recruiter. The concept of helping people further their careers and propel their professional lives is intriguing to me. Although our jobs can be quite stressful” she admitted, “I always think back to the basic concept that these are people’s lives we are working with and if it’s meant to be, it will be.”

“My motto is: Things should be fun, easy, and effortless. If it’s stressful or forced then it’s probably not the path we’re supposed to be on.”

Carolyn was working for a boutique agency in Houston before venturing out and starting her own company. “That was definitely a learning experience,” she says. “The oil prices tanked in Houston and I decided it was time for a change. I visited California 5 years prior and felt like I belonged there. It took me awhile to realize that this was where I was supposed to be, but I put a plan into action and here I am!” Piling everything she owned into her sedan, she drove from Texas to California over Thanksgiving weekend and proudly proclaims that she’s never been happier. “Literally every day is pure bliss for me. I have never been able to say that I absolutely love coming into work until now. I’m infatuated with everyone in the Irvine office as well as the entire Crescent family. Brian Fischbein is an angel and I respect him so much for his kind heart and laid-back personality. I sincerely hope to spend many years with this work family and contribute in every way I can.”

The self-described “overly friendly” Texan has had no trouble finding things to do. “I love beekeeping and gardening,” says Carolyn. “I’m actually a member of the Orange County Beekeepers association where I plan to volunteer my time and learn more about saving the bees. I miss my hive back in Texas every day.”

“I would describe myself as extremely laid back and easygoing. I love people and I love the genuine friendships I’ve gained here at Crescent. The transition from Texas to California has been an exciting adventure but it can be lonely at times. Hands down – everyone at Crescent always extends invites to do things on weekends or after work and it truly means a lot to me.”

“My favorite thing in life is cooking excellent meals for the people I care about. My opinion is, there is no such thing as too much garlic – if you don’t agree then you probably shouldn’t come in my kitchen!” she says with a laugh. “I think my dream would be to attend culinary school one day to learn everything about food preparation and develop my cooking skills to their fullest potential. I also love to go to the movies and I am a total beach babe. If it’s in the sun and sand…I’ll do it.”