From BGSU OFFICE OF MARKETING & BRAND STRATEGY
A Bowling Green State University senior was recently selected as the only student in northwest Ohio, and among 10 statewide, to take part in the latest iteration of the competitive Ohio Scholars in Aging program, which empowers learners to enhance their knowledge and professional skills in the field of aging.
As a human development and family science major, Elisabeth Baende said she discovered her passion for supporting and caring for older adults through the BGSU Life Design program. Now as a member of the Ohio Scholars in Aging program, she said the expanded learning opportunities have proven invaluable.
“This program and opportunity are much bigger than myself,” Baende said. “As one of the 10 students selected for Ohio Scholars in Aging, I have visited Buckeye Dementia Caregiving Center and talked with Sean Brennan, state representative of the 14th district at the Statehouse, where I learned about policies and procedures surrounding programs working with older adults.”
Students selected for the program are required to conduct research and present their findings at the Ohio Association of Gerontology and Education Conference. Baende’s research project was based on a business idea titled “Mindful Music,” which was developed as part of The Hatch program within the Schmidthorst College of Business.
“I developed Mindful Music to help students retain educational information through songs,” said Baende. “Renaming the project ‘Echoes of Emotions,’ I turned my focus from students to older adults for my Ohio Scholars in Aging research project.”
Crediting supportive professors and advisors for her selection to the Ohio Department of Aging-affiliated program, Baende, a Thompson Working Families Scholar from New Knoxville, Ohio, was able to implement her project at Bowling Green Manor with its residents and staff.
“I played music for the residents, collecting data on how they reacted to different songs and genres,” said Baende. “I then talked with them about how the music made them feel or what memories the songs brought to mind.”
Using the data collected during her visit, Baende presented her findings at the 2025 OAGE Conference, which was held at BGSU on March 20-21.
Now preparing to graduate this spring, Baende plans to enroll in graduate school to further her education in clinical social work with a certificate in music therapy.
“I want to work with older adults, but I also want to help them with social activities and get them involved in the community,” Baende said. “BGSU provided me with everything I need to be successful in my career. Life Design helped me find a program that combined my interests, faculty helped me grow my professional network, philanthropic supporters like the Thompson Working Families Scholarship program helped free me from my financial limitations, and through it all, my BGSU journey has helped prepare me to pursue something I am passionate about, a life of service that makes the world a better place.”
