Talk Your….

I applied for the American Society on Aging Rise Cohort today.

I have never done this before and while I love a good essay question, these stopped me.

The best way to get me to shut up and is to ask me to talk about my accomplishments. This is not a brag. Part of the reason I started this blog was to document my growth and my journey. Not just in the personal but also in the professional.

I always tell my clients to “acknowledge your progress”. Even if it is feels small. If no one else gives you a sticker, buy one. I also have extra in my desk drawer because I love a sticker.

I am getting distracted.

I applied for a cohort today. An opportunity to take my professional life to another level. They asked me four questions and it took me a minute but I’m proud of my answers. I’m so proud of my answers that I decided to put them in a post.

The questions:

• How have your life and work experiences shaped your desire to make things better for older adults? 
• Tell us about a time you helped create positive change or expand opportunity for others. What did you play, and what did you learn?
• What issue related to aging are you most passionate about or interested in changing? Why does it matter to you?
• How do you hope ASA RISE will support your growth, and what would you bring to the cohort experience? 

My Answers:

Growing up in Detroit, I was heavily involved in my local Baptist church, a community historically anchored by older adults. Surrounded by elders as I came of age, I developed a deep affection and appreciation for them. I saw them navigate diverse life situations-from grandparents raising grandchildren to solo agers-and witnessed firsthand how vital community support, especially through the church, was to their wellbeing. That experience first inspired me to engage with and help as many people in my community as possible. 

Professionally, I’ve been a social worker for 15 years, with a mission of helping people achieve and sustain an optimal level of functioning. Much of my career was spent on the micro level, where I worked with many older adult clients, though often in the context of other issues like mental health or medical resource needs. Since joining Hannan seven years ago, my work has shifted to a more macro level, allowing me to make a broader impact. This experience has shown me where organizations succeed and fall short in serving older adults, and has let me translate the skills I built on the micro level into macro-level impact. 

The issue related to aging I am most passionate about is aging in community. My background in social work taught me early on the importance and influence environment has on the well being of a person. This is a strong interest of mine because if we try to create programs and resources for older adults without taking into account their individualized environmental needs then our work is incomplete. I believe that aging in community takes this all into account and focuses on making the environment fit the older adult and not the other way around. 

My example speaks to creating an opportunity that hadn’t widely existed before for older adults in Detroit. In 2024, I gathered a committee of colleagues and community partners to host an indoor/outdoor Pride event. Most Pride events aren’t very accessible to those with disabilities, given typical event size and walkability. This project was personally meaningful to me, as I hadn’t attended a Pride event since being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. 

We created a day for older adults in the LGBTQ+ community to enjoy conversation, food, music, and games in a safe, air-conditioned environment. Our building is centrally located on Woodward and offers free parking, including overflow options. We also partnered with organizations like MiGen to provide as much information and entertainment as possible. 

This event gave a community that often feels left out of larger outdoor gatherings an accessible way to celebrate Pride. It also gave our volunteers valuable experience planning an event centered on accessibility needs. 

I meant every word.