Kristal R. Neal, BS, CCLS
Kristal, Child Life Coordinator, has been working at The Children's Hospital at Saint Peter's University Hospital since 2001. She graduated from Utica College of Syracuse University with a degree in Psychology/Child Life. She completed her Child Life Internship at Bellevue Hospital in New York, and was employed as a CCLS at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) before coming to Saint Peter's. She has helped to create a department staffed by three full-time child life specialists and other support staff.
Amanda Carlson, BS, CCLS
Amanda is a full-time child life specialist who works in the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Clinic and in the Dorothy B. Hersh Pediatric Emergency Department. She graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University with a degree in psychology, concentrating on youth and children. Prior to working at Saint Peter's, she interned at Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo, NY, where she worked in both inpatient and outpatient settings and at an annual bereavement camp for children. She volunteered for many years and completed a child life practicum at Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford, CT. She has extensive experience working with children and their families in different settings and is experienced also as a children's dance teacher and nanny for children of all ages.
Michelle Cumber, MA, CCLS, CEIM
Michelle is a part-time Child Life Specialist who works in the Dorothy B. Hersh Pediatric Emergency Department. She earned a master's degree in Child Advocacy and a bachelor's degree in Family and Child Studies with a concentration as a Child Life Specialist from Montclair State University. As an intern at Robert Wood Johnson University, Michelle gained experience working in Pediatrics, Adolescents, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Radiology, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Pediatric Same Day Surgery, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, and the Pediatric Emergency Department. Prior to interning, she volunteered at St. Peter's University Hospital. As a Child Life Specialist, Michelle has experience working in Pediatrics, the Pediatric Emergency Department, and Pediatric Same Day Surgery and has training in working with bereaved families, which is a passion of hers.
Sarah Jennings, BS, CCLS
Sarah is a part-time child life specialist at Saint Peter's on the general pediatric unit and the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). She graduated from The College of New Jersey with a bachelor's degree in Psychology with a focus on child and adolescent development. Prior to working at Saint Peter's, Sarah completed an internship and worked as a full-time child life specialist at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where she gained experience in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), the hematology/oncology unit, the emergency department and the trauma bay, and with the general pediatric and adolescent populations.
Taylor Stensberg, MS, CCLS
Taylor is a full-time Certified Child Life Specialist who works in the St. Peter's Pediatric Emergency Department. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Florida and her Master's Degree in Developmental Disabilities with a Concentration in Child Life from Nova Southeastern University. Prior to joining the St. Peter's child life team, Taylor worked as an inpatient surgery and trauma specialist in Philadelphia for over 4 years. Taylor also has experience working in Radiology, Hematology/Oncology, ED, PICU and various outpatient clinic settings.