Meet the Alumni: Julie Maslinski Prins
Program/Year
of graduation: Rehabilitation Science, Ph.D. with a Graduate Certificate
in Gerontology, ’01; Rehabilitation Counseling, M.H.S.’94; Rehabilitative
Services B.H.S. ’93
What I'm doing now: I am working as the Social Services
Manager for Oak Hammock at the University of Florida. I work with the members
from all three living areas (Independent, Assisted Living, and Skilled Nursing)
and I supervise the Activities Department. My responsibilities include:
working with members on transition through the levels of care, addressing
psychosocial issues with members, being responsible for SS assessment, discharge
planning, advance directives, psychotropic medication monitoring, and abuse
prevention for the Health Pavilion, and conducting a Care and Share Support
Group for caregiver spouses of Independent Members. I love working with
seniors and I truly believe in what I am doing. I intend to work in senior
health care for as long as possible, as I am also currently in training
to be a Licensed Health Care Administrator.
In addition to my work at Oak Hammock, I teach two courses in the Distance
Geriatric Care Management Program at UF. The program is a way to teach real-world,
practical information to individuals interested in working with seniors
and pursuing GCM Certification. I enjoy teaching students information that
will help them in their very important work with seniors; and sharing my
experiences from working with this population is both enjoyable and rewarding.
My favorite UF memory: My favorite memory is when I turned in the completed and final draft of my dissertation to the Graduate Research Office. After I left that office, with my Phinally Done sticker tightly-gripped in both hands, I felt like I was walking on clouds. If I was able to do cart-wheels all the way to my car — I would have! I will never forget that afternoon in the fall of 2001. Wow, what a day!!
Best Lesson Learned at UF: The best lesson I learned at UF is “If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.” Sometimes, during my doctoral program, I thought I would never make it. I had a 2 1/2 year old and a newborn and life was incredibly hectic. It seemed like the end was nowhere in sight. I contemplated quitting the program on more than one occasion, just so I could go back to my life before I went back to school. It was so much work being back in school and having a young family. I had never quit anything before and was devastated at the thought of giving up. My husband, in all of his infinite wisdom, said to me one day “If it was easy, everyone would be doing it and then what would it be worth?” Well, if you could’ve seen him say that, you would’ve stayed in school too! I am incredibly grateful (to him) that I continued in the program and graduated in 3 1/2 years. I learned a lot from my professors and from the program in general, but my best lesson at UF was from my husband... “If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.”
People would be surprised to know: I am a true “home-body.” I like nothing more than to be at home with my family doing just about anything: from doing nothing to watching movies, playing board games, swimming, or being outside with our numerous animals (we have over 20 animals). I am happiest when I am home. I sometimes think I was supposed to be born back in the days of Little House on the Prairie; because I would love to have several hundred acres out West with a variety of livestock, crops, and pets and live and work at home with my husband and daughters.
Family: My husband Dan and I have been married for 11 years. We have two daughters, Emily (10 years old) and Kenna (8 years old). Our “house pets” include Jessie (dog), Doc (dog), Claude (cat), Josie (cat), Abbie and Ginger (guinea pigs), Tippy (turtle), and Sunny and Sweetie (finches).
In the future I hope to: In the future I hope to take my family and do mission work in other countries. I want to make lives better for people in places that would otherwise not get help. I want my girls to grow up appreciating this life we have in the United States and understand the importance of serving others in need.
