Guten Tag! Good Day! My name is Avery, and I'm from sunny Southern California! I grew up in the Inland Empire, a region inland from Los Angeles. My hometown of Riverside, California, is in a unique location, where in less than an hour by car, you can go to downtown Los Angeles, downtown San Diego, Disneyland, the beach, and the mountains. Some of my favorite hobbies were playing sports, going to the beach, visiting family in Los Angeles, and snowboarding on Bear Mountain.
I left Southern California and moved to the heavily forested Pacific Northwest for college. I attended Pacific University, near Portland, Oregon, and majored in Kinesiology and Psychology, and played collegiate football. Shortly after college, I began working at Oregon Health & Science University, where I conducted research for a study that examined the effects of loneliness and social isolation on the cognitive health of older adults. I was fortunate for the Fulbright U.S Student Program to accept me to study the relationship between loneliness in older adults and volunteering.
I currently live in Hamburg, Germany, where I work with researchers to enhance the quality of life for our parents, grandparents, and other relatives. I can't wait to hear about your experiences as the school year progresses. I am eager to share my adventures with you all!
