As a program assistant for AgeAlive, Erin Filipich helps organize leadership council meetings, support community partnerships and keep programming running smoothly. While much of her work happens behind the scenes, she says every task plays a role in a bigger goal: creating meaningful connections across generations and building a stronger community around aging.
For Filipich, AgeAlive is about more than just events. She sees it as part of a larger effort to connect aging-related research, education and outreach across Michigan State University and beyond — not just for older adults, but across the entire lifespan.
“Our main goal is to just have a place that is going to be all encompassing,” Filipich says. “Not just our programming, but all of the other research aspects and community outreach programs.”
While AgeAlive has a strong focus on intergenerational and older adult programming, she says the mission is really about supporting people of all ages — especially students and older adults — and continuing to build connections across campus in the future.
Filipich brings a strong sense of compassion to her role, shaped in part by caring for her mother with dementia for 13 years. She describes the experience as both difficult and life changing.
“We went through it together, and I wouldn’t have traded it for anything,” she says. “I grew as a person, and I feel like it increased my empathy toward people who may need a different kind of support just to get through the day.”
That experience also fueled her passion for reducing ageism and helping people better understand aging. She says many assumptions still exist, often without people even realizing it.
“We all, whether we know it or not, sometimes have ageism in our own lives,” she says. “I’m hoping that through our programming we can maybe just switch the script a little bit.”
One way AgeAlive does that is through programs like Generations Connect, which pairs students with older adults to build relationships and learn from each other. Filipich says those connections can be powerful for both groups.
“Everyone has something to learn from each other,” she says. “No matter our age, there’s always something we can share — whether it’s an experience, advice or just that sense of connection.”
She says the importance of those relationships became even clearer after the pandemic, when many people experienced isolation.
“I think that showed us really what is important,” Filipich says. “These connections are extremely important.”
Looking ahead, Filipich is excited about where AgeAlive is headed. She hopes the organization continues to grow and strengthen partnerships across campus and in the community.
“I think we’re right at the beginning of something really neat for AgeAlive,” she says. “I feel like we’re in a really good spot to grow.”
Outside of work, she’s also navigating big life moments. Her son is getting married this spring, and her daughter recently moved to Wisconsin to start a career in engineering.
As she balances family, work and health challenges, Filipich says she’s learned the importance of setting boundaries.
“I think as I get older, it’s easier to balance because it’s easier to say no,” she says. “I think that’s a form of self-care.”
Even in a behind-the-scenes role, she says it’s the small moments that keep her motivated.
“It’s a bunch of small things that lead up to the big things,” she says. “I’m really excited that I’m a part of it.”