Exploring Aging in Place in San Antonio
Sofie Brutsaert
1st Year MPH Epidemiology Student
It’s 3 weeks before we head to Texas, and I'm excited! I’ve never been to the state before, and I’m so interested in experiencing this completely different place. Something we talked about in class was how, although San Antonio is still the same country as Michigan, the culture is so different that, in some ways, it truly is a global experience. I find myself full of both curiosity and trepidation to find out what kind of “culture shock” this new city will bring!
I’m also so excited to do this work. This class feels so different from all of my other classes because what we do actually tangibly matters in the real world. I feel like I’ve possibly learned more about how public health really operationalizes in just 5-6 short weeks working on this project than in a full semester of most of my other classes. It’s been so fun and interesting to talk through making the survey as a group and planning our strategies for the report. I feel like I’m getting a handle on how professional group work works. I’m excited to learn more about aging and understand how community members actually feel!
That being said, I’m slightly nervous as well. I’m hoping that our lectures and assignments have effectively prepared us to communicate with the community! I’m also hoping everything comes together with the survey and focus groups: that we get enough participants, that we ask the right questions, and that we create a product that is really useful for our partners at South Central AHEC. Either way, I’m sure it will be an excellent learning experience, and I am psyched to go!
