Lauren is a doctoral occupational therapy student from Thomas Jefferson University who will be working with JFS COMPASS as part of her capstone work. At JFS, she will be working as an extension of Jefferson Elder Care, providing COMPASS patients and caregivers with individualized occupational therapy services and leading Memory Cafe alongside one of her cohort members.

Lauren’s passion for helping individuals with dementia and their caregivers has largely been inspired by her family’s recent experience helping her grandmother. As she has seen their struggle firsthand, she understands the challenges associated with caring for a person with dementia. Lauren’s aim at COMPASS to support the growth of caregiver skills that are essential to the caregiving role and maximize their ability to connect with their loved one. She believes that her previous work experience will serve her well in this role, and she is excited to apply that knowledge through the lens of occupational therapy.

Lauren has held a lifelong passion for serving others, due in large part to her parents, who showed Lauren and her brother the wonders of volunteering with Special Olympics Delaware. She loves helping others pursue their goals, celebrate the wins, and learn from the losses. She leans on her ability to connect with others, and she is excited to meet you all. In her spare time, you can find Lauren exercising, hanging with her cat, baking seasonal bundt cakes, and visiting with family as much as possible.

Lloyd is an Occupational Therapy Intern, for the JFS COMPASS program. His role is to embed his OT lens and perspectives to collaborate and advocate for client’s quality of life and problem-solving with caregivers. Additionally, he is working to lead and explore potentials and directions of the Memory Café and other gatherings.

Lloyd is currently a third year occupational therapy doctorate student at Thomas Jefferson University. He previously completed fieldwork experience at Occupational Therapy of Delaware in Milford, Acts Retirement Community Country House in Greenville, and worked as the International Student Liaison & Career Ambassador at Thomas Jefferson University.

Beside devoting time and effort to his current career development, Lloyd spends a lot of time reading mythology, history,  and fiction, and computer programming and virtual poster design. All of his family members are now residing in Chengdu, China, where the hotpot originated and Panda Base is located!

One fun fact about Lloyd is that he used to have a turtle pet named Tubi that can run faster than a puppy in race!

Melissa is a clinical social work intern for the JFS COMPASS program. She is also the course assistant for the Savvy Caregiver course, helps with the Memory Café, and more generally supports COMPASS families in navigating the difficulties they face. Melissa’s undergraduate work was completed at Penn State University, from which she has a BA in Anthropology and another in Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies. She also has an MA in Transpersonal Ecopsychology from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. Currently, she is working on an MSS in Social Work at Bryn Mawr College.

When she gets free time, Melissa likes to write, read, practice martial arts, and play with her dogs. Spending time with friends and being in nature is also very important to her. One fun fact about Melissa is that she published a nonfiction book with her mentor on nature connection and navigating life’s challenges in 2020.