Coming Full Circle: Carrying Community Work from Michigan to Texas
Antonia Gitau
1st Year MPH Global Health Epidemiology Student
As I prepare to leave for my upcoming trip to Texas, I find myself feeling a beautiful mix of excitement and reflection. More than anything, I am looking forward to engaging with a new community and continuing work that has become one of the most meaningful parts of my life. I would not say I am nervous, but I do feel a deep and genuine sense of responsibility. I hope that when I arrive, I truly feel that I am making a positive impact and that the people I meet feel that too.
This experience feels significant because of the journey that brought me here. It all began in Michigan, where I volunteered with older adults through Lori's Hands. What started as a small, local act of service quietly grew into something so much bigger than I ever expected. From founding and leading a chapter at my undergraduate institution to serving on the Ambassador Council for Michigan's chapter, each step deepened my love for this work and my commitment to the people at the heart of it. Now, being able to carry that same passion all the way to San Antonio feels like one of those rare, beautiful moments where everything you have worked toward starts to make sense.
In Texas, we will be exploring how communities support healthy aging and independence, and I find myself in awe of how much there is still to learn. Through surveys, conversations with community members, and a closer look at the resources that shape everyday life for older adults, I hope to better understand what it truly means for public health efforts to be both effective and equitable. There is something deeply humbling about the opportunity to listen to communities whose experiences across lines of race, income, and history have so much to teach us about resilience and care.
I am walking into this experience with an open heart and a genuine willingness to be changed by it. I hope to leave Texas not only knowing that I gave something meaningful, but also feeling more certain of who I am and what I stand for. More than anything, I hope to carry this experience forward in how I continue showing up for aging populations through work that is always, at its core, centered in community.
