Name:
Lydia Boike
Year:
Senior
Hometown:
Coon Rapids, Minnesota
Major(s):
Chemistry and self-designed “Disease Intervention through Dance and Performance”
Activities on Campus:
- President of United Against Inequities in Disease (UAID)
- Captain of Haasya South Asian Classical Dance team
- Biochemistry research in Dr. Landino’s lab
- Chair for the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement on the Williamsburg Walk to End Alzheimer’s
- Volunteer for Music & Memory
Describe Yourself in Three Words:
Dance, cats, science
Go To Starbucks Order?
Medium Iced Vanilla Latte (always, even in winter)
Favorite Movie?
Mr. Nobody
Favorite Book?
House of Leaves
Hobbies?
Painting, dance, cooking
Career Goals?
Grad school for chemistry:)
How did you become involved in working with the elderly?
Both my uncle and grandmother died with dementia. My uncle had frontotemporal lobe dementia which affected him when he was only in his 50’s. I knew I wanted to help some way in this area of care, so I started volunteering at an assisted living retirement community in Minnesota when I was a sophomore in high school. I quickly realized that the residents in the memory care unit loved listening to me and others play music, and that music is a wonderful way to engage people with dementia. Since then I have always tried to stay active in this area of volunteering.
Why does working with the elderly matter?
We need to remember that the elderly are people who deserve to be treated with compassion and given every opportunity for living a healthy life. In 2016, 15 million Americans provided unpaid care valued at over $230 billion for relatives and friends with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias (Alzheimer’s Association). Working with the elderly matters because currently we do not have a healthcare system that supports people who have been diagnosed with dementia. We don’t even have a system that supports the elderly in getting routine care or living in assisted living facilities without spending exorbitant amounts of money. The only way this will change is if people collectively come together to fight for better healthcare policies – not only for the elderly but for all of the communities hurt by our current system. We need to create an environment in which the elderly can receive affordable holistic care and in which family members do not need to struggle to care for their loved ones.
Can you share a little more about UAID’s partnership with AIM? How can William and Mary students participate in the walk?
AIM is short for Alzheimer’s Impact Movement. It is a bipartisan nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to passing legislation that increases research funding for Alzheimer’s disease and increases care opportunities for people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Their website can be found here: https://alzimpact.org/. UAID is partnering with AIM and the Alzheimer’s Association to organize advocacy volunteers for the Williamsburg Walk on Saturday morning, October 28th. If you would like to sign up to volunteer please fill out this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScxRIeFHeBii4d4k1vW9LpqJTpvGzuFCvoshAIAEiY4iqNF1Q/viewform. We also will be hosting a speaker from AIM on October 11th in Washington 302 at 7PM. We would love to have you join us in volunteering!
What is one thing you love about William and Mary?
I greatly admire the students on campus who have dedicated their time to important causes and have enacted positive change within the campus – as well as broader – community.