Sandra Feria loves the part of her job when she tells a new hire that they are going to receive a generous package of employee benefits.
“It is one of the most rewarding aspects of my position,†Feria said. “I am able to help provide meaningful employment as well as share with them the benefits they will have because not all companies offer those to their workers.â€
Feria is a human resources recruiter for Agri Beef’s Washington Beef processing plant in Toppenish. Her duties include interviewing, hiring, on-boarding new employees and integrating them into the Agri Beef Co. system. She also engages with the community through job fairs.
“I come from an agricultural background,†Feria said. “I am one of seven kids and as the oldest female my role was a caregiver for younger siblings.â€
Feria grew up in the tiny town of Mesa, located north of Pasco along Highway 395. She went to nearby Connell for high school, married Clemente Ruelas shortly after graduation, and moved to the ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÉç. The couple now live in Sunnyside, where Feria was a stay-at-home mom for years with their children Angel, now 17, and Kloey, 13.
Feria said as her children grew she decided to pursue more education and enrolled at Heritage University. She graduated summa cum laude in 2022 with a degree in business administration, the first in her family to graduate from a university.
As a student, she became involved with ENACTUS, a Heritage University student organization with the goal of “serving as an agent for change in an area known for economic and educational deprivation.â€
Thirty-seven-year-old Feria also serves as secretary on the board of Yakima SHRM, a nonprofit association affiliated with the Society for Human Resource Management dedicated to the personal and professional development of its members.
“A lot of people have helped me through the years,†Feria said. “So helping my community grounds me by giving me a sense of purpose,†she added. Feria explained that finding balance in life has been one of the challenges for her as a working mom.
“Being able to balance my duties as a mother, wife, professional, co-worker, mentor and still taking care of my own needs allows me to better perform all of my duties,†she said. To maintain that balance, Feria said she tries to take daily walks with her husband, their dog, and “whichever child will join us.â€
“It helps clear our minds by allowing us to talk and reflect away from phones and TV. I really enjoy that,†she said.
Something else Feria enjoys is her work at Washington Beef. She admitted that when she took the position a couple of years ago she did not know if the job would be just a transition between finishing her education and another job.
“What I’ve found is it’s actually a company that has a great culture. Your work (there) gives you a sense of purpose and you feel like you belong to a community,†Feria said. “Washington Beef has given me an opportunity to move forward and learn. I stay there because of the opportunities for growth and because of the people there.â€
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