I am a rising senior at Skidmore College, majoring in Anthropology and double minoring in Biology and Mandarin. My interest in the Gray Panthers stems from my desire to pursue a career in global public health.
Finding this internship seemed like the perfect opportunity to learn about working for an NGO that, while focused on the local community, always looks at the global implications.
Following upon the horrible effects of COVID-19 on nursing homes, I learned about the importance of combating ageism and the need to pay particular attention to vulnerable populations.
I have gained so much from learning about combatting ageism on a global scale, the way each country addresses it, and about local approaches to ageing. Attending the Transformation Tuesdays webinars, UN events, and local political events has enabled me to look at topics that can involve older persons that I may not have noticed, investigated, or thought about prior to interning with Gray Panthers.
This experience has been amazing. It has given me the opportunity to further my exploration into the global public health sphere and provided me new information and resources to further explore topics that I hadn’t known too much about. Overall, Gray Panthers has taught me about the systematic, cultural, and environmental issues that impact older persons and the necessary changes that need to occur.