Ageism in Gerontology

I’ve been challenging the status quo from the get-go. I have a chart from when I was four years old with plenty of gold stars for helping to set the table, but not a single star for “Say ‘ok’ and not ‘why.’” I never stopped asking “why?” and—to my mother’s relief!—I eventually learned to listen for wise answers. Now, after a career that spanned high tech, government, foundations, and owning my own small business, I am pursuing a lifelong dream to become a doctor. I chose the Doctor of Clinical Psychology program at Antioch University Seattle for the opportunity to study with its outstanding faculty and for its genuine commitment to social justice. I wish I could do all the things in psychology, but since that’s not likely, I’ve been exploring neuropsychology and geropsychology. I earned my bachelor’s degree in speech communication—rhetoric from California State University, Fullerton, and my master’s degree in adult education and training from Seattle University, with an emphasis on development across the lifespan and organizational development. I was a founding member of the board of directors of Foster Care Alumni of America and was recognized with their Vision Award. I live and work in Seattle with my husband Greg and two office cats, Tommy and Tuppence. When I’m not working, I’m usually gardening, traveling by train, seeing a play, or keeping score at a baseball game.