Avery Ross

At this present moment I am a contract corporate flighat attendant. My path is to study and receive a Masters in Gerontology. For the past six years I have been a volunteer at the Hospice of New York and the Services Program for Older People. My mother died in 2002 and as a gift to her memory I began volunteering. I started out in the bereavement department as a volunteer. I wanted to be on the living side of this process we call death. I wanted to be closer to this"next frontier" for my own personal reasons and I had the desire to pass along the gift of sharing and talking about this inevitible happening due to my mother's prepardness that she bestowed to me and my siblings. Facilitating these groups lead me to pursue an Advance Certificiate in Grief Counsleing from Brooklyn College. I still continue to facilitate spousal and open groups at the SPOP and to those that reach out to me for support. I offer these services as a gift to those that need it. Doing these groups have given me an openess to a need for advocacy and community which I would like to pursue with this Masters in Gerontology.

I am fortunate to have two diversifed interests. I have been flying as a flight attendant for thirty eight years. I love what I do, but I also know that I am aging out of this profession and I am of the mind set that I always want to be doing something with my life. The opportunity to be of service is the thread that runs through my life and working career. As a bereavement facilitator the population that I am so humbled to meet has given me an opportunity to see a need for advocacy and community. Many of the members are alone and have no support after their love ones transition. Multigenerational living is the other interest I have. I would like to see more interaction between the young and the seasoned members of our society. As a member of the baby-boomer population I see a need for my brethern to have one that can relate to be available and educated in the services that are available to them as well as the important changes that occur as we age.

As I age I see my life expanding, not shrinking. I dare to experience all the things I may be afraid of. I have swam under the Brooklyn Bridge, twice.. around the Statue of Liberty as well of the last Hudson swim given by NYC Swim. I am learning how to play the cello and very dedicated to my practice of piliates and meditation.