Meet Ariana Del Re of Greater Cleveland

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ariana Del Re

Hi Ariana , thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story starts with a merger of two life experiences. First, I was very close to my own grandmother growing up. At some point her memories were beginning to fade and I wanted to find a way to tell her life story. I began interviewing her and over time used our conversations to write her biography. At the same time, I was working as a classroom teacher. Seeing the impact this experience with my grandmother had, I decided to take my students to the local assisted living community where they interviewed the residents, documented their conversations, and we printed their life stories which we called, “LifeBooks.” The interactions between the students and senior residents yielded the same empathetic, validating interaction that I had experienced with my own grandmother.

As a result of these two experiences, I knew that this needed to be shared with others and thus the company Write My LifeBook was born. Our digital platform walks people through the same process that I did with my grandmother and that my students did with the assisted living residents. In addition to helping individuals document and publish their own life stories, our Youth + Senior Connections program connects senior residence communities with local schools for partnerships. Through this program, I have the privilege of bringing people together and writing, designing and printing many peoples’ life stories!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The biggest challenge was creating the digital platform. There wasn’t anything else like it out there, so there was no blueprint to follow. I wanted it to be very easy to use and to focus on the user’s interactions and memories without a cumbersome writing process. It took several years to make sure the platform provided this experience and to create a process that was simple but still created a complete life story. I worked with a dedicated team and we are really excited about what we’ve created.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My background is in education. I provide a unique lens to the senior living community because my focus is on engaging our seniors across generations. This can be within a family – involving a grandparent and grandchildren. Or this can be within a community involving students and seniors from either a residence community or local senior community center. Providing an opportunity for seniors to be engaged with the community in a role that acknowledges and celebrates their life experiences is something we are often missing in our society. Our Youth + Senior Connections Program is a mutual mentorship program that places seniors in the role of life mentors. Regarding the students, they are technology mentors on the digital platform.

With a background as a teacher and administrator, I recognize how absolutely necessary it is to build students’ confidence. Equally important is building a student’s ability to interact socially and in situations that they are not accustomed to, so that they are prepared for their futures. Additionally, a goal of education is to foster empathy and that is best done through meaningful connections to others. The Youth + Senior Connections program does all this.

How do you think about happiness?
I am happiest when I am using my God-given talents and skills to make a positive difference in the lives of other people. Using my talents is fulfilling in itself, but far better is seeing something we created have such a fulfilling and positive effect on others. I feel this way because even small actions can have a ripple effect and cause a noticeable shift in individuals and our community.

When I hear about a grandparent who is being interviewed virtually by their grandchild from across the country to make a LifeBook together on our platform, it makes my heart happy. Or when I accompany a group of students who are meeting senior residents of an assisted living community for the first time, I can hardly wait to see how excited both groups will be when, at the end of the experience, the students present the residents with a copy of their LifeBook. It’s amazing to see the bonding that can happen when different generations spend quality time getting to know more about each other. I can’t think of anything more rewarding than bringing people together.

Pricing:

• Use of the platform and a designed/printed LifeBook $169

Contact Info:

• Website: https://writemylifebook.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writemylifebook/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WriteMyLifebook/
• Twitter: @ArianaDelRe1
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@writemylifebook