Today at the Gary and Mary West Center, the class had the opportunity to sit down with elders at Serving Seniors to share life memories and life passions. Maricela and I sat down with a man named Gary who proceeded to show us pictures of the young adults in Uganda he puts through school. Gary pays for their tuition and rent in hopes that the young adults will continue to gain the skills they need to become financially stable and pivotal contributors to the growing economy of Uganda. Gary cares a lot about these young adults, and even spent a year in Uganda to be with them and mentor them so that they could find their true calling. Gary had been able to travel all around the world because he constructed many US embassies, including two in countries I have visited (Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast). Listening to him talk about the young adults he had such a true connection to was very inspiring, and it shows that love for others transcends race and religion. Gary is a true inspiration, because he helps the young adults achieve their visions, and he does everything he can to make sure that they are happy. He says he communicates with them once a week, and I am happy to say that I was able to set up WhatsApp for him so that communication back to Uganda can be easier. I always leave intergenerational conversation events feeling alleviated of stresses, because the elders have so much to teach me every time I talk to them and they reassure me that having a positive attitude and good work ethic will get me steps closer to where I want to be. I can't wait to be involved in more intergenerational conversations with the elders of our community, as they have so much to teach us.
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JAYSON HEFNERWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
June 2019
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