MSW, Rutgers University '99
University of Southern Maine
Portland, Maine
When I graduated from college I worked in sports marketing doing television production and event planning for 8 years. I decided to make a career change and get my masters in social work with a focus on aging. I worked at the the Foundation and participated in developing a grant program which I now manage. I am the Deputy Director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation National Program Office based out of the University of Southern Maine in Portland, Maine. Community Partnerships for Older Adults is a $28 million national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that works with communities to improve the systems delivering long term care and supportive services to vulnerable older adults and their caregivers.
I have used Spanish in each of my jobs as a resource and back up to the work I do. In sports marketing we were selling our television package to Spanish speaking countries and my knowledge of the language put our clients at greater ease and created a feeling of trust more quickly. In my current position I use my knowledge of the language and cultural background I learned with my major to communicate with our grantees who are working with Hispanic populations. Again, speaking the language has helped open lines of communication and develop levels of trust that I would not be able to do otherwise.
I have also found when I travel in foreign countries that I can find someone to communicate with in Spanish if not English. It has been a useful aid many times to help find my way or communicate with someone locally.