I could say that I was self-made person, but I know that there were multiple generations in the background lifting me up to become the person that I am today. I came from a humble background. My mother and father were teenagers; therefore, I was giv...More
I could say that I was self-made person, but I know that there were multiple generations in the background lifting me up to become the person that I am today. I came from a humble background. My mother and father were teenagers; therefore, I was given to my maternal grandmother to raise me. My grandmother became ill with cervical cancer, which doctors, at the time, did not know how to diagnose nor treat her. My grandfather took over raising me. My grandfather, who was a janitor, could only do so much as he had to work 20 hours per day in order to keep the family afloat and to get medical treatment for my grandmother. I was left, basically, to raise myself. In raising myself, with my grandfather in the background directing my career moves, I started to work at the age of 12 years old as a bus girl at one of the family-owned restaurants in Athens, GA . While working there and proving my sincere and trusted work ethics, I was given the opportunites, through my grandfather's networks, to work within the private and public sectors. Because I was left vulnerable, I became a target, and continued the cycle of teenage pregnancy within my family. Because I felt that I had let my family down by doing so, I had lost all hope of ever continuing my education until one of my classmates encouraged me to move forward through seeing our high school guidance counselor. This counselor helped me to complete my education and to move forward into the college life. The college life led me to being able to network and become connected to my mentor who was a Harvard University Economist. This connection; thusly, set an example for my children and to help me in providing a better life for them by my being given the opportunities to continue my work life within the public, non-profit and academic arenas during my 65 years on planet earth. Because of my humble background, I would like to, again, emphasize that there were multiple generations who made my life a better life. In thus so doing, I am very aware and knowlegeable of how to connect with multiple generations to create an environment of peace and not hostility, as we continue to create an aging workforce society.
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Aging and Social Change
