The past two quarters of the Life Course Scholars Program has been one of my favorite academic experiences. Every trip, activity, and group project taught me so much about the diversity of the aging experience in San Diego and the shocking amount of disparity between rich and poor seniors. It’s hard to not notice the differences between the seniors at the Gary and Mary West Center and the seniors at the Casa de Manana Retirement Community. In the first quarter, I most enjoyed our long trip to visit the various senior housing options in San Diego. It opened my eyes to both the desperate need for affordable housing and the fact that affordable housing doesn’t have to detract from the value of a neighborhood. Affordable housing complexes can blend into the surrounding neighborhood well. So, there shouldn’t be opposition based on that issue. I also enjoyed completing the Neighborhood Assessment Project. I saw first hand the lack of thought given to the accessibility of seniors and disabled persons. This quarter, my favorite activity was my group’s Healthy Aging Project. It evolved throughout the quarter as plan after plan fell through, but still ended up being a successful event. I also enjoyed our visits to our partner sites, particularly the visit to the LGBT Center in Hillcrest. I wish we had visited that site in the first quarter. Overall, this experience was well worth the time (even on weekends) and I believe it has shaped by academic and career interests. I’ve also already recommended it to friends.
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Nicolette Olivia LeWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
June 2019
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