For our last class, we went around the room to discuss what part of this program held the most impact for each of us. Like many of my classmates, the most impactful experiences for me were the off-campus site visits and having the opportunity to get to speak with some of the seniors. For me, being outside of the classroom helped me learn and absorb information much more effectively than if we had been in a conventional classroom environment. Being physically present in the different communities and spaces we visited allowed me to fully immerse myself and learn at a much deeper and personal level. If the different sites had been translated into a lecture slide instead, I don’t believe that it would have made as large of an impact, not just in our learning but also in our overall experience and connection with the issues at hand. Our NAP for Barrio Logan and Logan Heights was unlike any other project I’ve undertaken. We spent two days in Barrio Logan and Logan Heights to do an “age-friendly assessment” of the area based on the WHO’s standards. This project exercised our abilities to conduct our own learning and research experience through actual visits and interactions with community members, not just through books and a google search.
The moments I will always remember were the conversations shared between us and the seniors we had the pleasure to meet. There was Tessie, Remi, and Neil from Bayside, Felix and Armando from the West Center, and the lovely Irene from the Potiker Residences who graciously let us into her home and shared her story with the whole class. There were many others whose names elude me but I will always remember their stories and lessons I learned from them about love, sacrifice, perseverance, and of course, not letting their “age” define them. I look forward to what’s in store for us in the next quarter, from more site visits to our individual HAPs, and I especially look forward to the people we have yet to meet!
The moments I will always remember were the conversations shared between us and the seniors we had the pleasure to meet. There was Tessie, Remi, and Neil from Bayside, Felix and Armando from the West Center, and the lovely Irene from the Potiker Residences who graciously let us into her home and shared her story with the whole class. There were many others whose names elude me but I will always remember their stories and lessons I learned from them about love, sacrifice, perseverance, and of course, not letting their “age” define them. I look forward to what’s in store for us in the next quarter, from more site visits to our individual HAPs, and I especially look forward to the people we have yet to meet!