When I was younger I was always around older people. In high school I volunteered at Longview two days a week after school. That was really awesome. So when I came here I decided I would minor in gerontology.

I take my friends to Longview, and they always seem to have a really good time. You get to interact with people and it brightens their day when you're there. On Mondays we paint residents' nails and listen to music. Fridays are an afternoon tea. There are a few people I see regularly. Rose is really awesome. She's one of those outgoing people that are always telling jokes. She's one of those people that you always want to be around. And Betty Spence is a petite lady who is always happy and always glad to see you. Then there's David, he's a character. It's hard to describe. There's people you'd have to meet, but you'd love them, once you met them.

I decided Therapy Recreation is definitely what I want to do. The aging population is growing so rapidly that by the time I graduate there is going to need to be more recreation opportunities for older adults. So a gerontology minor makes sense. TR and gerontology mesh really well together.

I could work with younger people or older people. A lot of TR people talk about working with kids but the reality of the situation is that you'll probably be working with older adults. So it makes sense to have the background for that.

Older adults have so much to offer. They have so much guidance and so much wisdom. They've been through so much that they can give wonderful advice and they have amazing stories and if you just take the time to listen you can learn a whole lot from them.

The gerontology faculty is supportive and very involved working with seniors in the community. The partnership with Longview is huge because it gives you a direct link to the older people in the community so that you can have a personal experience not just learning from textbooks. Personal interactions are a lot more important.