I’ve worked with seniors for over a decade, and I knew early on I’d want to work for the Center’s Senior Services one day.
One of my career goals was to work directly with LGBTQ older adults in a more hands-on manner. During graduate school, I was ecstatic for being accepted as a Senior Services intern in 2016. A position opened upon the completion of my internship, and I was fortunate the team wanted me to join them as a staff member.
Working at the Center has helped me to see that, although I sometimes feel like I’ve reached my goal of working with LGBTQ older adults, there is still so much work to be done for the community. I consider it my mission to help improve the lives of LGBTQ seniors, and I am excited to see where this role will lead me.
Working in Senior Services has opened my eyes to the wide range of experiences our LGBTQ seniors have endured in their lives. I want to be someone they can reach out to at a time when they find themselves needing some support. Every senior in our program was previously a young person trying to understand their own identity—that self-realization and growth never truly ends. Our participants have so much passion, insight, experience, and creativity to share. I hope that our activities offer them a space to continue learning and growing.
The Center is such a great place to impact the lives of so many people in the community. Across the entire life spectrum, from youth to seniors, I’ve learned that this is the place our LGBTQ family seeks out when they need food, shelter, safety, and connection. It can be very humbling to think I’m a part of someone’s experience.
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Hometown: El Sereno
Year Started at the Center: 2017
Staff Position: Activities Coordinator – Senior Services
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