across the life span
Many in this community have come to know me in recent years as an advocate on older adult issues. But wait, but isn't she running for school board? I have been privileged to have the opportunity to advocate on issues affecting all stages of the life span. I have researched the effectiveness of preschool programming, helped teachers interpret student data, and managed a nonprofit program supporting low-income older adults.
It's a long story. Like many, my lifepath hasn't been linear. After years working with families and youth and schools, I was raising two little ones in Thousand Oaks (my eldest was at University Elementary) when my grandmother suddenly went into a Parkinson's-related dementia - Lewy Body Dementia. There were many drives up the coast to my parents' house, where we first tried to care for her, and we ultimately moved her into a memory care facility. But the challenges kept coming, and there came a point where I needed to file for emergency conservatorship of my grandmother. The next several months before my grandmother died were filled with drives up the coast, visits with my grandmother in her congregate living, and many doctors' appointments.
Ultimately, that tumultuous last year of my grandmother's life, in which I was so deeply involved, led me to a career shift into end of life and aging issues. I began a long volunteer relationship with Hospice of the Conejo, worked as a hospice social worker, and managed the OASIS (Older Adult Support and Intervention System) program for Catholic Charities. My focus during my doctoral program was social isolation in our older adult populations.
Working with individuals and families on issues related to both ends of the life span has provided me with an expansive view of the human experience. When we work with young children, we are shaping and developing them into the adults they will become. Some will grow up to lead lives filled with healthy relationships and true connection...and others will struggle. When we sit with someone at the end of their life, considerable time is spent reminiscing over early life: parents, siblings, events in their youth. It becomes clear how much our adult and older adult experiences were shaped by those early years. It's all connected.
After earning my doctorate (Doctor of Social Work) in 2020, I returned to research-oriented work in public schools, with and for families and children. It's been a joy. And I can think of no better next step than to play a role in the leadership and vision of the educational system that educates and develops the youth of our community.