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Crystal Holly is the service coordinator at the Village of Our Saviour’s Manor, located in Westland Michigan. She has always had a passion of the elderly population since she was a little girl. Crystal considers herself an old soul, a person who is beyond their time. During her high school years she spent a lot of time with her grandmother, while other individuals her age where outside playing with each other. Crystal attended Crockett Career and Technical Center (CCTC), in addition to high school, where she became a licensed certified nursing assistant. While at CCTC she did her practicum hours at the Ford VA hospital and Friendship Manor, a nursing home located in Detroit, where she grew to love working with the elderly population.

Crystal attended Madonna University in Livonia, Michigan where she attained her B.S in Gerontology, and a specialty in case management and dementia studies. She is also trained in activities therapy, which engages the individual in creative endeavors that help to alter the thought processes of the participant in a positive manner. During her years at Madonna she acquired over 1900 volunteer hours, which were comprised of work at her internship, lobbying, policy making outreach, and community outreach, just to name a few. Crystal is committed to the gerontology field, even when she is not being compensated for her time.

Crystal is currently taking graduate classes at Cappella University, in education leadership, to acclimate herself into school. She also wants to make sure her next educational steps are the best way for her to contribute to the gerontology field.

Before starting her career as a PVM Service Coordinator, Crystal worked at the Brookfield Clinic, the Center for Counseling at Garden City Hospital, where she did mental health intake. Crystal has much experience working with the elderly population and creating programs. She started her career at PVM at Westland as the activities coordinator, for the dementia and assisted living building. She planned programs, did activities-based therapy, and created a better foundation for the dementia program at the Westland building. She also established an intergenerational program with students form the Wayne and Westland school district. The program consisted of the students interacting with the residents to break intergenerational gaps. Crystal stated, “The Village of Westland loved this program because their grandchildren could participate if they lived in the district.”

Her career in aging has been shaped by her undergraduate career at Madonna University. Crystal says, “Dr. Anita Herman

was a great professional mentor,” Dr. Herman taught Crystal to nurture what and how she can contribute to the field, no matter how hard, and she always encouraged her to do what she wanted in the field. Crystal has taken this advice and used it to shape her career, and has become a great asset to the field. At her building she would like to have community resident/ clients focus on heart care, and help seniors understand that to live well is to age successfully, which includes taking care of yourself, loving one another, and taking care of your community.