I Belong Series: Meet Kenia, Assistant Store Leader

Oct 25, 20212 min read

Kenia is an assistant store leader who's helping to make a difference in her #LifeAtPetSmart. Read on for her story of Belonging and how a career at PetSmart has helped to make a difference in her life!

The Belonging Program’s “I Belong” Series harnesses the power of empathy through storytelling. This series is intended to give associates a greater sense of understanding, a bridge to gain new perspective, and a way to build connection to each other. To learn more about the “I Belong” Series or to submit your stories, associates can visit PetSmart's Belonging Fetch Page.

Meet Kenia | Assistant Store Leader

In September 2021, I received an email from PetSmart letting me know I’ve been approved for the PetSmart Tuition Assistance Program, and I was so elated!

As you can imagine, being an adult and trying to go back to university can present many challenges including financial liabilities. I’ve been worried about how will I afford it, and wondering to myself, “will I be in debt forever?”

However, receiving this email made me so happy. I absolutely had to interrupt my husband at work to let him know because I was so excited! And he was so excited for me!

PetSmart had my back many times when things got tough.

In February 2020 when my dad passed away unexpectedly, through the PetSmart Associate Assistance Foundation, my family could afford a nice funeral service for my dad. And for that, I am forever grateful.

It’s so great that we have programs like this to help.

My sister works at a very large bank as a branch manager, and my brother works for the local government, and even they don’t get these kinds of blessings and opportunities through their jobs.

I guess the point of my post today is to show my appreciation for PetSmart. It is very easy to get frustrated at work when things get difficult, but at the end of the day, I am so endlessly grateful to work at a company that invests in their associates. I look forward to growing my career with PetSmart in the future.

Thank you for allowing me to follow my dreams.