Senior Project Architect Vanessa Shumate, besides being a talented designer and dedicated mentor, now is a published author detailing her passion for designing senior-living facilities. Editorial leadership at Environments for the Aging Magazine asked Shumate to write a first-person essay for their “The Spark” column appearing in the Summer 2020 issue. The Spark shares personal accounts that inspire individuals to dedicate their careers to improving environments for seniors.

Vanessa tells of helping her mother care for her grandparents so they could continue to live in their Eastern Kentucky 1900s-era farmhouse rather than move into a senior-care facility. Her experiences at a very young age inspired her to design award-winning communities where seniors live active lives.

“As I grew up, I continued to think about the lessons I learned on that farm and the resources required to help individuals stay active and free of limitations as they age. I’ve taken all the lessons from my grandparents and from working in a church environment and applied them to the projects I design,” Shumate wrote. You can check out the entire column here.