Featured Students

Jennifer Rescigno
Jennifer Rescigno, a social worker supervisor at Kings Harbor Multicare Center, Bronx and graduate, University of Albany, State University of New York, School of Social Welfare, speaks about why she got involved with aging.

back to top

Andrea Thorne
Andrea Thorne received her masters in social work from the University at Albany, State University of New York in 2005, where she went through the school's Practicum Partnership Program. Today, she is the health and legislative policy analyst to Senator Kemp Hannon of New York.

What made you decide to focus on social work and care for older adults?

My grandmother, who's now in her 90s, inspired me. I remember a day when I was feeling really low, I took some time off to visit her. Over lunch, she told me a long string of life stories about the disappointment of outliving her children, being surprised at feeling sad in prosperous times and happy while living in poverty. When she was 14, for example, the girls down the street were jealous of her style even though she wore the same old dress every day for over a year (the trick, as it turns out, was to wear different scarves and hats and red lipstick). She told me I had to leave my trouble behind and go on.

Often we think of older people as being the recipients of caregiving, not the providers of it. On that day and many days like it, she was the provider of care and I was the recipient, even though I was in my twenties.

In my family, older people are always around, as are children and younger adults. My mother, who is in her 60s, drops off a dinner to my grandmother on her way home from work. Or my grandmother goes next door to my aunt's house for dinner, and afterwards, my 9-year-old cousin walks her home. He helps her inside and gets her ready for the rest of her night. When I was his age, I did the same for my great-grandmother. This is a really big responsibility for a little person, but it is a great lesson too— for both parties! Older and younger people learn life skills from one another.

I was also primed to work with older adults because all ages are valued and integrated and students are strongly encouraged to process how their own cultural beliefs affects their practice at the SUNY Albany Social Work Program.

What were some of the most important experiences or lessons you got from going through the Practicum Partnership Program?

I learned that one cannot assert one's own cultural model onto the lives of others; there is no one size fits all. My PPP program forced us to break down our own stereotypes about others; particularly of older adults. Older people do all of the things that younger people do, be they healthy or unhealthy!

What made you decide to get into policy work instead of direct service?

I am often asked this question, along with, What does a social worker do in politics? I use my clinical skills every day in the political field when I listen to the problems and concerns of those who come to see the Senator.

I love to remind people that social work has a rich political history. We tend to forget that our history and profession were formed by those who worked in direct care and who brought the problems seen there into the political forefront. As social workers, we must believe in ourselves enough to know that we can be change agents within the social system at all levels.

What's a typical day like on your job?

Andrea's short list of her typical tasks includes: researching and tracking health care initiatives and policy changes in other states and at the federal level; preparing research briefs on health care legislation; meeting with senators, statewide advocates and lobbyists; drafting health care legislation and writing speeches and talking points for the Senator; and attending meetings, receptions, conferences and events including the annual briefing for the state health budget.

It's been said that there are no typical days at the Senate, and that is very true! The day's priorities are set by the tone of the times in which we live, which is as varied as the daily news. Health is an expansive and ever-changing policy area. It is a work in progress and never a fait-accompli. What is viewed as good policy constantly changes, but the people affected by health policy remain the most important focal point and that does not change.

What do you love most about your job?

I love the fast pace and the sweeping social change that takes place daily. I learn new things every day meeting with advocates, lobbyists, others on the legislative staff, constituents and some of the greatest minds of our time about the issues. The human potential that I encounter here is really awe-inspiring.

back to top

Other featured students

Kathryn MacLean, an MSW student at St. Louis University School of Social Work wrote this article, "Exploring Gerontological Social Work: A Student Perspective," for Aging Times by The GeroEd Center, Volume 3, Number 1, August 2007.

The students of the University of Maine's School of Social Work are featured in the September-October 2007 edition of UMaine Today magazine.

Jamie Fredrick, a student at Boston University School of Social Work, wrote this report, "Geriatric Education Model Consortium Program: Evaluation of Former Participants," for her enrichment project. Boston University School of Social Work's Geriatric Education Model (GEM) is an affiliate of the Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education.

back to top