Here we are, more than halfway done with the quarter, and I am in shock with how much new information I have learned about aging in just seven weeks. There has not been a single class that tops this one, and we still have four weeks left together. Just last week, we hosted our “Love, Connect, Care” event at the Gary and Mary Wellness Center. I truly enjoyed spending time with the seniors and seeing them have fun with all the activities we planned out for them. Since I haven’t been able to go home, the interaction with all the elders made my heart so full. I miss my grandma all the time when I am in SD, but seeing the seniors enjoy their time out was truly one of the best moments of this quarter. My favorite part was watching the elders take pictures at the photobooth with all the props because everyone genuinely seemed happy. At that moment, I promised myself that I would have that much fun when I get older. There is no limit to when or how many happy memories you should be making in life, and I really want to continuously add significant life experiences, even if they are small, to my life course. On top of the “Love, Connect, Care” event, our cohort took the trolley to Barrio Logan this week and did a neighborhood mapping activity. I thought this was extremely insightful because I had never been there before. I didn’t really know what to expect. Although there were aspects of the neighborhood that could be improved in order to promote better healthy aging, the neighborhood felt as if it had a strong sense of community with all the murals and small businesses in the area. I can’t wait for what the end of the quarter has in store for the class. I am really enjoying making new friends and relearning about aging.
It is the middle of week 5 and the first week back in person! The past week and half have been full of stressful times, but meeting up for LCS has consistently been the highlight of my week. Some of my classmates presented their Oral History Projects last week, and to say that my heart was full of warmth and love by the end of the class is an understatement. I was so touched by the stories of each individual. I loved learning about everyone’s EP, and can’t wait until next week to hear more stories. The Oral History Project allowed me to view life in a different light. Everyone has their own unique stories that make up parts of their lives. Although we may not think about our life events on a daily basis, the project helped me to realize that reflection is quite important for understanding your own life course. For our first in person get-together, we visited the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center! I was extremely impressed with the many activities that were offered at the wellness center. My favorite part was getting to have some conversations with the seniors. Although some conversations were short, I found it fun getting to meet some of the seniors and hearing them tell stories. The visit made me excited for the event we are hosting next week! I can’t wait to see all the seniors do all the activities we have planned. It is nice to finally be able to work with everyone in person, and I am super excited for the rest of the quarter.
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Jasmine MounphoxayJasmine Mounphoxay is a Global Health major from Anaheim, CA. She is interested in dance and Archives
March 2022
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