“…Interest in aging has been defined as the intention to learn about aging in order to pursue a career in gerontology (Damron-Rodriguez, Kramer, & Gallagher-Thompson, 1998). It is particularly noteworthy that social work students tend to rate their interest in geriatric practice as being low in comparison with other areas such as mental health, child welfare, health, and family services (Abell & McDonell, 1990;Butler, 1990;Damron-Rodriguez & Lubben, 1997;Fredriksen-Goldsen, Hooyman, & Bonifas, 2006;Olson, 2002;Rubin, Johnson, & DeWeaver, 1986). And yet, by the year 2020, it is projected that approximately 70,000 gerontological social workers will need to be ready to meet the needs of a diverse older population (FredriksenGoldsen et al, 2006).…”