A dedicated and passionate volunteer with Conversations to Remember, Anthony Camaraza has taken on various roles both in and out of the organization. He is originally from Cuba and is a rising senior pursuing his bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Florida International University. He is on a pre-med track and is eager to earn his MD/PhD degree to become a practicing physician-scientist in the future. Anthony plans on specializing in cardiothoracic surgery while researching cardiovascular diseases and biomedical engineering. At FIU, Anthony is an honors scholar student ambassador and a research assistant in the Cardiovascular Matrix Remodeling Laboratory. There, he studies cell culture and the cells involved in the aortic valve of mice. Outside of school, Anthony works as a medical assistant in a clinic.
At Conversations to Remember, Anthony is no stranger to taking on multiple positions. He first heard about the organization through its outreach initiatives and became inspired to join, as he is committed to ending senior loneliness and creating intergenerational connections. He felt as if “the topic really called to me, and I really wanted to do it.” For that reason, Anthony first got involved as a student outreach volunteer, where he connected with different clubs and professors and introduced them to Conversations to Remember in hopes of recruiting more student volunteers.
Later on, Anthony added another role by joining Conversations to Remember’s weekly virtual visit program. He expressed how this position is most rewarding for him. “Actually being able to speak with the elders, you learn a lot from them, and I learn a lot about communication and being able to express my thoughts.” These boosts of confidence are what led him to take on a third role: newsletter production volunteer. In this role, he researches topics related to Conversations to Remember’s mission in greater depth and shares his findings with the monthly readers. He trusts that these skills will carry over when he is a working clinical researcher, helping him to better communicate with his patients and the medical community.
Over the year and a half that Anthony has volunteered at Conversations to Remember, he has made long-lasting memories and relationships. He recalled that he was a bit nervous during his first call with a senior. Anthony noticed that these anxious feelings started to dissipate when he said, “After talking for five minutes with the senior, you get into the conversation, and you forget about being nervous! You forget about any other doubts that you might have, and you just focus on having a conversation with the senior with the other volunteers on the call.”
Anthony continued to express such positive sentiments when he recounted his experiences with Taylor*, the senior Anthony chats with weekly. Taylor has become a beacon of hope and optimism for Anthony, as they always tell him, “Stay positive, stay healthy.”
Anthony feels touched by these uplifting words from Taylor, especially as they shared their own struggles of social isolation with him. Taylor’s ability to still find the good amongst the bad and share that advice with Anthony is a truly special and unique experience for him, as they give him purpose and remind him why he’s doing what he’s doing. For that reason, Anthony described how Taylor’s words “resonated with me the most about Conversations to Remember and will continue to resonate with me for a really, really long time.”
Anthony believes that Conversations to Remember is a tremendous opportunity for both seniors and students. For seniors, he explained how the calls make them happy to have someone to chat with and express their thoughts. Reflecting on his experiences, Anthony mentioned how Taylor always tells him:
“Thank you so much for speaking with me! I have a smile on my face, and I’ll have a smile on my face for the rest of the day. You made me so happy by speaking with me, and I look forward to speaking to you again!”
To Anthony, these experiences underscore the value of intergenerational connections, as they make an immense impact on the seniors’ lives.
The calls don’t just benefit the seniors but benefit the students as well. Anthony discussed how the conversations allow them to learn from the seniors’ life endeavors and reflect upon their own lives. “I feel like I’ve learned so much about myself and about seniors. That is super helpful and incredible to know!” Such experiences have influenced Anthony’s outlook on life, teaching him to appreciate things more and to place a greater focus on the positive things in his life. He intends to use the skills he gains from Conversations to Remember to assist him when he becomes a physician specializing in cardiology. The majority of his patients will be seniors and can have comorbid neurodegenerative conditions. Consequently, he will be able to call back to the training and knowledge he obtained from Conversations to Remember to effectively communicate with his future patients. These enriching experiences are why Anthony wants to continue volunteering with the program for as long as he can.
For those considering volunteering with Conversations to Remember, Anthony enthusiastically says, “Do it, 100%. No doubt it’s been an incredible experience.” He has found the program to be fulfilling for his personal and academic growth, allowing him to learn more about himself and seniors. Furthermore, he describes how supportive Conversations to Remember is for volunteers, saying, “The people who organize the program are so kind, and I feel like they push you to be better. They keep sending out information on things you can continue to do that will help you continue to grow.” This level of encouragement from the community built by Conversations to Remember further augments Anthony’s enthusiasm to mitigate senior loneliness. “I’m very passionate about it, and Conversations to Remember has only made me more passionate about the topic and made me realize how important it actually is,” he says.
Such dedication in Anthony’s academic life and professional development serves as an inspiration for all at Conversations to Remember! Thank you, Anthony, for all your continued efforts and assistance to create an intergenerational bridge and mend the negative outcomes that social isolation and loneliness bring forth! We’re lucky to have you with us!
*Disclaimer: The senior’s name has been changed for privacy reasons
