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鈥淚鈥檓 inspired to understand why things are the way they are, and more importantly, what can be done to gain equity and awareness.鈥�
What Can Be Done
Why age is never a barrier to Kris Geerken 鈥� and why you should never count her out
Never count Kris Geerken out. Why? Because she never counts herself out.
Kris didn’t have the chance to attend college after high school.聽鈥淏ut I always believed I鈥檇 find a way to earn a degree,鈥� she says.
Today Kris has two: She earned her bachelor鈥檚 in her 40s. But it鈥檚 in her 50s where she鈥檚 really hitting her stride. At 55, she earned her MHA from 海角社区.
Her interest in healthcare grew from personal experiences. Like when she lived in England for two years and noticed how its healthcare system was more equitable than in the U.S. And when she worked in hospice and saw many misconceptions about palliative care.
鈥淚鈥檓 inspired to understand why things are the way they are,聽and more importantly, what can be done to gain equity and awareness,鈥� she says.
It鈥檚 the 鈥榳hat can be done鈥� part that led Kris to MHA because it opened the door to possibilities 鈥� a place where she could channel her desire for change and fuse her passions with what the world needs.
In her last semester, Kris鈥檚 capstone project on intergenerational connections led to a job with a nonprofit focused on ending ageism. Today Kris is bringing generations together for that cause 鈥� no doubt a cause for which she is a living testimonial.
鈥淚鈥檝e never viewed age as a barrier to the choices I鈥檝e made in my life,鈥� Kris says.聽鈥淓ach person adds value through their unique experiences, and collectively,聽our shared voices will be what makes the difference.鈥�