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.