What Can Be Done
Why age is never a barrier to Kris Geerken … and why you should never count her out
Never count Kris Geerken out. Why? Because she never counts herself out.
Kris didn’t have the chance to attend college after high school. “But I always believed I’d find a way to earn a degree,” she says.
Today Kris has two: She earned her bachelor’s in her 40s. But it’s in her 50s where she’s really hitting her stride. At 55, she earned her MHA from MSU Denver.
Her interest in healthcare grew from personal experiences. Like when she lived in England for two years and noticed how its healthcare system was more equitable than in the U.S. And when she worked in hospice and saw many misconceptions about palliative care.
“I’m inspired to understand why things are the way they are, and more importantly, what can be done to gain equity and awareness.”
“I’m inspired to understand why things are the way they are, and more importantly, what can be done to gain equity and awareness,” she says.
It’s the ‘what can be done’ part that led Kris to MHA because it opened the door to possibilities – a place where she could channel her desire for change and fuse her passions with what the world needs.
In her last semester, Kris’s capstone project on intergenerational connections led to a job with a nonprofit focused on ending ageism. Today Kris is bringing generations together for that cause – no doubt a cause for which she is a living testimonial.
“I’ve never viewed age as a barrier to the choices I’ve made in my life,” Kris says. “Each person adds value through their unique experiences, and collectively, our shared voices will be what makes the difference.”