Jacquie is new to The Center and looks forward to interning this semester as part of her Master of Social Work (MSW) program at East Carolina University. She is also pursuing a Certificate of Gerontology and plans to work with older adults in the future. When reviewing options for her field placement, Jacquie was excited to hear about the work that The Center is doing to provide services that allow older adults with less resources to continue living independently.
Jacquie is a Raleigh native and graduated from Ligon Middle School and Enloe High School (where she first volunteered with older adults!). She left the state to attend Wheaton College in Illinois, and lived in Chicago and Beijing before returning to the Raleigh area. When she returned, her grandmother had recently moved into a nursing facility, and Jacquie was introduced to the world of caregiving and long-term care. After her grandmother passed away, Jacquie’s interest in serving the older adult population grew and she started volunteering with the Durham County Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee (CAC). She currently serves on the Wake County Nursing Home CAC. During the COVID pandemic, she decided it was time to move her passion from a hobby to a career.
Since most of her experience with seniors so far has been in long-term care facilities, she is looking forward to the opportunity to serve older adults in the community. While she is only one week into her internship, she already feels right at home and very grateful for the chance to learn from the experienced staff at The Center.
(photo: Jacquie and her grandma)