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In November, 2007, Penelope L. Young was appointed by Connecticut Gov.
M. Jodi Rell to a four-year term on the Connecticut Commission on
Aging, the independent state agency that serves as an advocate for the
state’s present and future generations of older adults on issues that
affect their quality of life.
A resident of New
Canaan, CT, she serves on the Town Council and has
also served as president of the Connecticut Association of Area
Agencies on Aging since 2004. She is a past member of the Norwalk
Community College Community Advisory Committee to the Human Services,
Recreation and Leisure Studies Program.
She has been a
member of the Southwestern Connecticut Area Agency on
Aging, based in Bridgeport, since 1993, serving as president,
vice-president and secretary of the agency’s Board of Directors and
holding assignments on the allocations, personnel, nutrition, finance
and executive search committees. She is a current member, and has
served in numerous senior leadership positions, for the Elder Care
Council of New Canaan, Senior Center of New Canaan, Waveny Care Network
and is an advisor to the transportation service, Getabout. Young
is
also a member of the League of Women Voters, the Republican Women’s
Club, the Garden Center of New Canaan and an ex officio member of the
New Canaan Nature Center. She previously served on the town’s Long
Range Planning Task Force and has participated for many years in health
and human services needs assessments with the United Way of New Canaan.
Young went
to college as a pre-med major and was counseled out of
pursuing her interest. “Women didn’t pursue such lofty professions back
in the early 60’s if you wanted to also be married and have a
family.
Can you imagine being counseled that way today?” So instead of
redirecting her path toward another “helping” profession like nursing,
public health administration, or social work, Young earned a degree in
modern languages and education at the University of Delaware.
But after work,
marriage, two children, and many years of
community volunteerism, she found she needed more directed volunteer
work – greater opportunity to make significant decisions and effect
change. She set a goal of completing a master’s degree program by the
time her youngest child graduated from high school – a goal she met
through dedication and perseverance.
“I began taking
classes, one per semester so as not to impact family
responsibilities, and graduated the same year our son did. My
attending school set an example for our children. They saw that I
needed to organize my time effectively, commit to learning, think
creatively and problem solve – I think they got a kick out of Mom going
into hibernation for a couple of days in order to complete research for
a term paper. Certainly there was some burning of the midnight
oil!”
Realizing that she needed to focus on the “helping professions”
and that she had a special place in her heart for the needs of older
adults, Young decided to concentrate in the field of gerontology.
“I chose the
program at CNR because it was the most comprehensive in
the region. Courses were specific to the various aspects of aging –
other programs concentrated solely on counseling techniques with
aging-specific knowledge to be acquired through community experiences.
The faculty was exceptionally committed to the field.”
Young remembers
Sister Regina Kehoe and Jim Magee, in particular, who
always proffered instructive comments on term papers and class
presentations, and Ken Doka, who continually encouraged her personal
growth - and continues to do so.
“He often
commented that some day he’d learn I was serving on the CT
Commission on Aging. Well Ken, I’ve achieved the lofty goal you helped
me set – now what?!”
A great source of pride for Young was her master’s project – the
development of a proposal to the Town of New Canaan to expand the
senior program to devote use of a public facility for a community
center for seniors. It was accepted by the Town, funds were
raised in
the community, and the program was expanded to double the size of the
facility and quadruple attendance.
“Today our senior population is stimulated by over 115 separate
educational, recreational and social opportunities. From a wee
acorn
caringly nurtured by my experience and education at CNR a mighty oak
has grown for our seniors. Thank you, CNR.”
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