Alumni Update: Where are they now?
Name: Rosa M. Aguirre
Degree(s) Received: BSG '02, MSG '05, MHA '05
Job title: Project Coordinator, Active Start Program
Company: Los Angeles City Department of Aging and the OASIS Institute
Location (city and state): Los Angeles, CA
Please briefly describe your position and your company:
I work as a liaison between the LA City Department of Aging, and The OASIS Institute, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. The Department of Aging provides a number of social services to older adults in the LA area. The OASIS Institute (www.oasisnet.org) is a national, not-for-profit that provides enriching classes focusing on art, humanities, technology, health and fitness to community-dwelling older adults. The two agencies came together to create and offer Active Start, a program for sedentary older adults funded through the Administration on Aging’s evidence-based program initiative. Active Start combines exercise and behavior change classes that help sedentary adults increase their physical activity levels while building self confidence and improving overall wellbeing. The classes are taught by lay leaders who are oftentimes seniors themselves. Active Start was selected by the US Department of Health & Human Services as one out of nine programs nationwide that represent an innovative health promotion program.
My role as the Active Start Project Coordinator requires me to oversee the day-to-day operations and includes participant recruitment, data collection, facilitator training, and program implementation. Occasionally I also get to teach some of the exercise and behavior change classes, which is a lot of fun!
Why did you choose to study gerontology at the USC Davis School?
I arrived at USC as an undeclared freshman who was thinking about medical school. I did not want to major in biology, which is what most of my pre-med counterparts were studying. I instead wanted a degree that allowed me to satisfy the medical school requirements while granting me exposure to other fields. I took an elective in the School of Gerontology and enjoyed it so much that I chose the gerontology, health sciences track and never regretted it.
How did you learn about your current position? Was it through an internship, a previous job, or a connection through USC?
I was a student and graduate research assistant to Dr. Wilber who recommended me to my current position.
Please briefly describe how the USC Davis School’s curriculum helped prepare you for your current position.
The curriculum at the Leonard Davis School was multidisciplinary, which proved invaluable as I entered the workforce because I now collaborate with people from a number of other disciplines, such as physicians, social workers, nurses, dieticians, therapists and other professionals to provide a program that provides a holistic benefit to older adults.
What advice would you offer to a prospective student interested in studying gerontology at USC?
Gone are the days when no one knew what a gerontologist was and the only career option was a job in a nursing home. Today, gerontology offers limitless opportunities; you can combine gerontology with any discipline to provide a perspective that will prove invaluable and make you more marketable since you will understand the needs of a large segment of the population.
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