Personas & Scenario-based Learning

Personas support scenario-based learning by providing realistic, relatable characters whose experiences help learners explore concepts in context, practice decision-making, and connect course content to real-world situations.

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A Closer Look: Meet Bernie Holloway

Module 1: Bernie's Grocery Store Experience
During a routine visit to the grocery store, Bernie encounters everyday situations that reveal how age-based assumptions can shape interactions, perceptions, and beliefs about growing older. Through her experiences, learners explore how ageism appears in daily life and how positive views of aging can support healthy aging outcomes.

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Background

Bernice Holloway, a 79-year-old White woman who lives in Atlanta, Georgia, is known to friends as Bernie. She is a retired pediatric nurse who worked in Atlanta’s public hospitals for more than 40 years. At work, she was known for her calm presence in high-stress situations and her gentle humor with anxious children and young parents.

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Education

One of the first in her family to graduate from college, she earned her bachelor of science in nursing in the late 1960s, became a registered nurse, and kept up with continuing education throughout her career.

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Personality

Warm, perceptive, and proud, Bernie values her independence and dislikes being underestimated. She has a sharp memory, a dry wit, and a polite-but-direct way of speaking when she senses disrespect. Bernie has learned to speak up when she notices ageist language, although she tries to stay gracious.

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Family & Community

A widow, Bernie lives alone in a walkable neighborhood and volunteers as a reading mentor at the local elementary school. Her son lives out of state and checks in with her often. She also participates in a quilting group at church and recently started teaching some of the other women how to use computer graphic design software to make posters for bake sales.

Bernice "Bernie" Holloway

79

years old

Strengths

Bernie is tech-savvy, socially engaged, and physically mobile. She owns a car and is comfortable driving around the city, and is an active community member.

Challenges

While she has no major health issues, Bernie notices how often people speak slowly to her, call her “sweetie,” or assume she needs help with things she’s fully capable of doing herself. She finds this infantilizing. She’s also aware of how often people use words such as “elderly”’ or “senile” to describe people her age—especially on the news or in TV shows. Like most 79-year-olds, Bernie is competent, current, and engaged—but often finds herself either ignored (as if invisible) or reduced to a flat character in others’ assumptions.

Meet the Other Course Personas

Explore the personas below to learn more about the individuals featured in each module and the scenarios that bring course concepts to life.

Walter "Walt" Richardson

Module 2: A New Doctor Visit—Walt Shares His Story
A retired Chicago bus driver, devoted grandfather, and active community volunteer, Walt meets a new primary care physician for the first time. Through their conversation, learners explore how assumptions about aging can influence communication, listening, and person-centered care in healthcare settings.


Harold Jennings

Module 3: Harold’s Trip to the Pharmacy
A retired teacher, community mentor, and lifelong learner, Harold navigates a series of everyday interactions during a routine pharmacy visit. Through Harold’s experiences, learners examine how age-based assumptions can appear in public settings and explore ways to foster respectful, person-centered communication while recognizing signs of ageism and mistreatment.



Rosa Delgado

Module 4: Careers That Make a Difference—Q&A Discussion with Rosa Delgado
Drawing on more than 35 years of experience serving older adults and families, Rosa leads an interactive discussion that helps learners recognize age-inclusive language, rethink common stereotypes about aging, and explore the diverse career opportunities within the field of aging.

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Contact Us

For questions about this course or if you need technical assistance, please contact the GSA Education Team. 
Questions & Support

If you are a college or university faculty member interested in using this course as part of your curriculum or would like information about group licensing, please contact Judie Lieu, VP of Publishing & Professional Resources.
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