To be honest, I was a little bit nervous about travelling all the way across the street to our local community for retired folk and interviewing someone I’d never met before about whatever struck my fancy. Fortunately, that anxiety left me as soon as I was introduced to Ms. Alice Yank, an exceedingly kind woman who was very excited to be involved in our little field trip.

Alice moved to Massachusetts from New York three years ago when her daughter wanted to be close to the ocean. She was very adamant about not being from New York City, rather hailing from further upstate. “[The other Nichol’s Village residents] all tease me because I’m from New York.” Alice admitted with a laugh.

Alice and I had a lovely conversation and discussed things like her family, music, and how she keeps busy at Nichol’s Village. She doesn’t have any grandchildren, but prides herself on being a grandmotherly figure to her great-nieces and great-nephews as well as other children she knows.

I asked Alice about her taste in music and she answered by saying she is very fond of classical music, or musicians like Frank Sinatra. She told me about how her husband and son both played in a concert band: her son on the trombone and her husband played tuba. Alice’s husband purchased her a piano for her 60^th birthday and she took lessons for six years until she was forced to sell the piano because they moved to a smaller space.

I thought it was good that Alice keeps busy around the little community. She walks, reads, occasionally works in the store, and signs up for many of the activities offered-this wasn’t her first time being interviewed by a student in Journalism!

As much as I enjoyed our entire conversation, I think the highlight was when Alice discussed her career. For a lot of her life, Alice has kept busy by doing volunteer and charity work. She told me that her family did not have a lot of money growing up, but that didn’t stop her for wanting to reach out to the less fortunate-or perhaps it was her humble beginnings which inspired her drive to service the community. Either way, I know I have the utmost respect for someone who spends so much time giving back.  “I help people,” Alice said. “That’s what I like to do.”