Picture it the first semester of junior year. As a student, I was hopeful for a season of change from the previous semester that kicked my butt. The beginning of the week I had the mindset that this year was going to be my year, I didn’t realize how true it was. By the end of that week, I would think the complete opposite.

You see, I was taking macroeconomics for the second time. Okay, attempting macroeconomics for the second time because I dropped the first time to avoid a failing grade. Let’s be real a W is better than an F. Macroeconomics is still the bane of my existence as I ended up dropping it within the first two weeks right in alignment with the add/drop period for classes.

Of course, I had scheduled my fall to be just the right amount of credits to give myself some space to breathe and figure out my life plan. However, when I dropped macro I had to replace it and that’s when it hit me: sociology.

Sociology has always been and will always be a fond subject for me, truly one of my favorites. From the time I took a class in high school to now being a junior in college. Anyways, once I had dropped macro, I scrambled to find a sociology class available.

That is when I found Social Gerontology.

The description was brief but explained the subject to be about studying the aging process.

Sounds interesting. Click. And then I was in the class, I showed up a few classes behind but got it together as if I hadn’t missed a beat next thing I knew everything started making sense. The content was interesting, the readings were full of new information, and all I wanted was to learn more about aging, Alzheimer’s and Dementia, and everything in between.

And then there were volunteer hours.

For volunteer, I was required to go to one of the many locations that Respite Care Charleston has to offer and volunteer for two hours. I met incredible people we socialized, we sang, we painted, and we ate lunch together.

So for about three months, six hours a month, I slowly began piecing together what I wanted to do with my life. I want to work with Alzheimer’s and Dementia patients. I want the world to understand Alzheimer’s and Dementia not fear it.

We spend so much of our time investing in kids because they are our future. I am not disputing this by any means. Kids are awesome! They aren’t the only parts of the future we should concern ourselves with.

Our old people are being treated like old people, not like elders. I realized that yes, I love working with kids especially the group I choreograph in the summer and all my dance babies I taught back in the day, BUT I love and want to work with the elderly more.

Now I am taking another class on aging and continue volunteering with my current aging class. I am so blessed that with one simple click of a button I was able to find my passion. I don’t believe in accidents or coincidences this was fate.