I really enjoyed my housing tour experience because it gave me a chance to explore regions in San Diego that I have never seen before. More importantly, it allowed me to see the challenge of only relying on social security wages as the main source of income. Prior to this experience, I had a false misconception about social security wages. For some reason, I thought social security wages covered all living expenses and was enough to not live in poverty, even though in my HDP 1 (Introduction to Human Development) course I learned this is rarely the case for most elders in the United States. Now that I reflect back, I realize that all I needed was to actually hear an elder speak about their struggles, to truly understand.
I hope my experience as a Life Course Scholar this school year continues to be a learning experience. Just by looking at the course schedule for the next academic quarter, I can tell there will be more opportunities to meet many elders from all walks of life, and this is something I find most exciting. Hopefully, by the end of this program I will be able to connect my interests in helping elders, with a career I find both meaningful and rewarding.
I hope my experience as a Life Course Scholar this school year continues to be a learning experience. Just by looking at the course schedule for the next academic quarter, I can tell there will be more opportunities to meet many elders from all walks of life, and this is something I find most exciting. Hopefully, by the end of this program I will be able to connect my interests in helping elders, with a career I find both meaningful and rewarding.