Meet Elsy Gonzalez | Program Director & Risk-Taker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elsy Gonzalez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elsy, how do you think about risk?
My view on taking risks has to do a lot with my upbringing and the people that surround me. I come from a family that immigrated from El Salvador, with my grandmother coming to the United States in the late 70s and throughout the years, slowly bringing her nine children for better opportunities. Taking risks helped to keep my family together while finding better opportunities in a new country, surrounded by people and a language they were not familiar with. Learning about my family’s struggles has shown me that risks can be worth it. My grandmother and my mother are my prime examples. I have heard stories of how my grandmother would walk miles just to get to work to support not only herself in a new place, but also her family back home. While working various jobs, she was also able to invest in opening her own restaurant, which she ran successfully for almost ten years. Similarly, my mom went through an adapting process where she became a nursing assistant within the year of arriving. To this day she jokes that she does not know how she completed her certifications as they were all in English and she knew little to none at the time. These two women took great risks and matched them with even greater perseverance, which has resonated with me, especially in my career.
I have been working with older adults for over ten years. As an undergrad, I volunteered with caregivers of older adults with dementia providing respite. Upon completing my bachelor’s in psychology, I started to work with our local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) where I provided support to older adults and their caregivers with local resources to help with the care of their loved ones through the Elder Helpline. I was then promoted to Contract Manager where I was responsible for the compliance oversight between the state and local service providers.
When I graduated with my master’s degree in psychology with a focus in gerontology, I decided I wanted to do more. After 7.5 years with the AAA, I accepted a position in an agency that was going through some challenges. This was a big risk for me because there were changes that were necessary to turn the program around. It was a scary move because although I was confident that I could do it, it was a new environment and new people I would be working with. At just 33, I think I’ve accomplished quite a bit. Without taking risks, I would not be where I am today and I have to thank the women in my life for that.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m in the field of social services and I work with the older adults population. I have been in this field for over ten years and what started as a project to add to my resume as an undergraduate student, became my passion. I originally wanted to be a pediatrician and was three years into my undergrad degree when chemistry and I started to have some friction and I turned my minor in psychology to my major. It was during this time I was volunteering providing respite to caregivers of older adults with dementia and I became fascinated with the way the brain works and how the impact of memory loss impacts everyone not just the person with it. Being in this field is not easy because working with a frail population is not for everyone. I’ve worked with people who simply don’t have the patience and working with older adults, or any vulnerable population, this is something that you need. To be where I am today, I’ve struggled with a bit of ageism. Usually one thinks that ageism impacts older adults but young adults experience it as well. Prior to my current role, I applied to various supervisory roles and I would be turned down later to learn it was because I was “too young”. Don’t get me wrong, I joke around and I’m very sociable but my work is something I take pride in and I always give it my all.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Some of the fun places I’d take my best friend would certainly include the Walls at Wynwood. This is always a fun place to go to see the murals from different artists. We’d also definitely have to hit 107 Taste for lunch which is a yummy Asian fusion place with amazing ramen! I’m a new fan of boba – which I feel like I’m late to the party but there is this great spot in Kendall called Boba World and their tiramisu boba is life! Black point marina is a great place for catching sunsets and one of my favorite spots to go in the evenings for a walk before Mother Nature’s daily show.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My mom and grandmother deserve all of the credit. Without them making the decision to come to this country, I would not be where and who I am today. Everything I do is for them.

Instagram: Instagram.com/super_elsy

Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/elsy-gonzalez-ms-831b23125