By Andrew C.W. Lam
Life Course Scholar
College, a distant and disparate land of teenagers and young adults, all searching for independence, a social life, and identity.
But deep in the recesses of our convoluted thoughts, a single thought manifests: We exist in such a well-entrenched social sphere of influence, but aren’t we forgetting a certain group? The elders. The seniors. The ones who have lived a rich and full life of experiences. What can we possibly do about it?
It takes a bit of grant money, guidance, and personal motivation, but it has been done. A group of 25 wide-eyed college-age scholars have undergone a unique and engaging transformation in the short span of 10 weeks.
Stories of connection: College students are infamous for their perceived disconnect from the senior population. Therefore, the first step was exposing this eager cohort to the senior communities under the guidance of Professor Lewis and Professor Rabinowitz-Bussell. Following our Senior Housing Tour, many scholars began to fathom the grueling financial hardships that seniors faced in securing housing. We saw firsthand the gentrification that left many older homeless folks distinctly out of place in a seemingly affluent part of San Diego.
Stories of sharing: Professor Lewis’ philanthropic efforts to help an elderly homeless woman who fell down presumably due to exhaustion on a scorching day set the standard of behavior that many scholars would inevitably take up.
Stories of respect: Our cohort was humbled by our opportunity to serve lunch to the seniors at the Gary and Mary West Senior Center. We were whisked off to faraway lands and escapades through the life stories shared by the well-educated and well-traveled seniors at Casa de Mañana. The scholars felt flickering flashes of life and reminiscence at their lunch with the elders afflicted with Alzheimer’s and dementia at St. Paul’s Senior Services. At Norman Park Senior Center, our cohort was pleasantly delighted with the occasion of having a brisk stroll with a group of twenty seniors, followed by a short lunch.
We conducted research on various cities and districts in the county of San Diego. Our studies were founded upon the idea of age-friendly cities. These cities are characterized by social engagement, public spaces, and overall safety for the senior population. The scholars have studied various topics on the aging experience, from the anti-aging industries attempt to vilify aging to revealing critiques of ageism’s role in modern-day society.
We connect. We share. And we have learned to respect the truth of aging.
Life Course Scholar
College, a distant and disparate land of teenagers and young adults, all searching for independence, a social life, and identity.
But deep in the recesses of our convoluted thoughts, a single thought manifests: We exist in such a well-entrenched social sphere of influence, but aren’t we forgetting a certain group? The elders. The seniors. The ones who have lived a rich and full life of experiences. What can we possibly do about it?
It takes a bit of grant money, guidance, and personal motivation, but it has been done. A group of 25 wide-eyed college-age scholars have undergone a unique and engaging transformation in the short span of 10 weeks.
Stories of connection: College students are infamous for their perceived disconnect from the senior population. Therefore, the first step was exposing this eager cohort to the senior communities under the guidance of Professor Lewis and Professor Rabinowitz-Bussell. Following our Senior Housing Tour, many scholars began to fathom the grueling financial hardships that seniors faced in securing housing. We saw firsthand the gentrification that left many older homeless folks distinctly out of place in a seemingly affluent part of San Diego.
Stories of sharing: Professor Lewis’ philanthropic efforts to help an elderly homeless woman who fell down presumably due to exhaustion on a scorching day set the standard of behavior that many scholars would inevitably take up.
Stories of respect: Our cohort was humbled by our opportunity to serve lunch to the seniors at the Gary and Mary West Senior Center. We were whisked off to faraway lands and escapades through the life stories shared by the well-educated and well-traveled seniors at Casa de Mañana. The scholars felt flickering flashes of life and reminiscence at their lunch with the elders afflicted with Alzheimer’s and dementia at St. Paul’s Senior Services. At Norman Park Senior Center, our cohort was pleasantly delighted with the occasion of having a brisk stroll with a group of twenty seniors, followed by a short lunch.
We conducted research on various cities and districts in the county of San Diego. Our studies were founded upon the idea of age-friendly cities. These cities are characterized by social engagement, public spaces, and overall safety for the senior population. The scholars have studied various topics on the aging experience, from the anti-aging industries attempt to vilify aging to revealing critiques of ageism’s role in modern-day society.
We connect. We share. And we have learned to respect the truth of aging.