Students & Alumni
Alumni Testimonials
Abigail Bailey | Masters 2020
“I was researching graduate programs in the field of gerontology and discovered that Georgetown University was beginning a brand-new program in the Fall of 2018. The rigorous one-year program was extremely appealing, as was Georgetown’s prestigious name and location. I wanted to be a part of the inaugural class of students … I can attest that Georgetown’s Aging and Health program is the best decision I could have made.”
Richard Curley | Masters 2020
“I always pay attention to meaningful coincidences. It was such that led to the discovery of the Aging and Health program. I had been helping out someone I know from the Farmers Market in Falls Church experiencing homelessness. Fate brought us to the Tombs Restaurant where he wanted to have lunch. As I sat there enjoying my meal, I recalled that I had wanted to attend Georgetown since I had first arrived in the Washington Area in 1979. When I arrived at home, I googled Georgetown and the Aging and Health Program was the first to pop up. It seemed like destiny, so I was compelled to apply.”
Ann Oldenberg | Masters 2020
“This program is new and promises to address many complex issues facing our aging population, from health economics to the biology of disease to the psychology of aging. I’m interested in learning and exploring as much as I can about all aspects of aging, as we are living longer and healthier lives but are always looking for the best possible way to do that.”
Lelia M. Reed | Masters 2021
“I was drawn to the Aging & Health program at Georgetown because it was a newly developed program that focused solely on the Aging Adult from a multi-
faceted and multi-disciplinary approach. In addition, as an undergraduate
student at Georgetown, I knew that it too would offer a strong foundation based
on scientific research and theory.”
Vivian Vasallo | Certificate, 2020
“In my previous role at AARP Foundation, I remember a call that came through our Housing Solutions Center from a 92-old widower who was at risk of losing his home to foreclosure. He had exhausted all financial resources in order to help his wife’s battle with cancer. When she passed away, he was on the verge of becoming homeless. There are limited options for people as they age and with limited income. My passion for aging is to influence interventions earlier in life that support the wealth and well-being of people so that they may live their best lives and not fear for the future.”
Student and Alumni Spotlights
Abigail Bailey | Masters 2020
Abigail (Abbey) Bailey graduated from Georgetown University’s Master’s in Aging and Health Program last December with a concentration in Policy and Economics. She is currently working at the AARP headquarters in their Caregiving and Health division. To continue her passion to change the face of aging, Abbey will be obtaining her Ph.D. in Social Gerontology at Miami University of Ohio this coming fall. Her ambition is to advocate, educate, and implement policy on behalf of our nation’s senior citizens and their family caregivers. Using her knowledge and education from the M.S. in Aging and Health Program, Abbey’s main focus is on aging in place, as well as family caregiving.
Scott Foster | Masters 2021
Scott Foster, is a first-year student in the M.S. in Aging & Health Program. Formerly, he worked as an Assistant Dean and as an Executive Director on a range of projects at Georgetown Law. After over 20 years at the Law Center, he decided to delve into a second career. Given that aging services has become an emerging and prominent field, Scott decided to pursue a Master’s degree in Aging & Health with a concentration in Senior Living Administration. As a long-time counselor and manager, Scott was drawn to the idea of using his professional and interpersonal skills to make the lives of elders more fulfilling while working on the business side to move in new and creative directions.
Christine McGrath | Masters 2020
Christine McGrath began her higher education at the United States Military Academy and Marist College, where she majored in Economics, was pre-med, and played college tennis for four years. She later attended the Masters of Public Health Program at Brown University and is now a professional pickleball player. Christine is ranked among the top ten players in the world and is also the founder of Pickleball Getaways, a business specializing in pickleball-oriented vacations around the world. She hopes to use the M.S. in Aging & Health Program to prepare her to develop and implement a program that uses physical activity to improve the lives of aging individuals.
Darya Rahbar | Masters 2020
Darya Rahbar completed the M.S. in Aging & Health program with a concentration in Health Economics and Policy. Her undergraduate background is in government and politics, with a focus on political philosophy. Upon graduating from the University of Maryland, she began working for a federal contractor doing project management and recruitment. During this time, she also witnessed her grandmother’s decline in health and watched her own family navigate the many challenges of end-of-life care. She is completing the concentration in health economics and policy in hopes of pursuing a career in the aging policy and advocacy realm to alleviate some of these challenges and deliver creative solutions.
Student Research
