Artist Biography
Jessica Parkinson is graduating in the spring of 2025 with a B.F.A. in Interior Architecture from Endicott College. Jessica has welcomed the opportunities that Endicott has provided to enhance her classroom learning with real world experiences. Jessica has completed three diverse internships through her academic career, each providing her with unique and different experiences. Jessica chose a design centered and culturally rich study abroad opportunity at the Florence University of the Arts in Florence, Italy. She also was fortunate to take part in a Study Tour of Sweden and Denmark. These immersive programs allowed her to experience different ways of life and to see how design shapes the sense of community. Jessica successfully received many accolades in her academic career at Endicott including being named to Dean’s List, and recently being inducted into the Kappa Pi International Art Honor Society. Jessica is excited to continue to hone and demonstrate her knowledge of Interior Architecture in her post grad life and hopes her passion for interior design will take her to new places and new heights.
Thesis Abstract
Many communities struggle with caring for and ending care for their loved ones at both ends of the age spectrum. Remarkably, caregivers take the brunt of this demanding responsibility while also taking care of their own personal, professional, and emotional needs. Community models need to evolve to address the diverse needs of their populations. Respite care, traditionally seen as a lifeline for caregivers of aging adults, has the potential to address a broader spectrum of needs by fostering connections between generations. Exploring how communities can be inspired by the emerging respite care model, in order to reimagine community centers into dynamic intergenerational hubs that serve children and older adults together. Boundless Care Day Services is an intergenerational space where the older population and children can interact and learn from one another while relieving caregivers from their strenuous duties. By expanding the purpose of the community center, this could help meet the physical, social, and emotional needs of both the children and the older adults in a dynamic, supportive space and provide assistance to parents, guardians and caregivers in the form of respite care. Intergenerational spaces over a promising solution to caregiving challenges while reading the fabric of community life.