Patsy Matthews, M.Ed. – Kennesaw, Ga

It has been a pleasure having Caroline in my Gerontology class for 2009-10. From the time the class started in September 2009 until we ended in 2010 Caroline has had major changes in her life. These include addressing her elderly father’s needs, moving to a new location and starting a new business. I have been very impressed with her approach to these changes in addition to taking the Professional Development in Gerontology class. When I think of Caroline, I think of Resilience. The two definitions of resilience as defined by Martin Seligman, PhD, are “being able to steer through the daily stressors of life” and “reaching out to new experiences”. Caroline’s success in accomplishing the requirements of the gerontology class in addition to the other changes in her life is due to being able to call on the abilities of resilience. She is able to think comprehensively and accurately about the causes of problems and she believes in her ability to solve problems. I know she will succeed in her business venture and will be able to use what she learned in the class.