My name is Angelina Mendoza and I really appreciate you taking the time to look at my honors senior thesis project. I am a senior at Gonzaga University studying psychology. Throughout my journey in psychology, I have always been drawn to the older population. I am very close with both of my grandmas and have held a certain passion for helping them. In high school my first job was at a senior living home (my favorite resident Edel is pictured above), which allowed me to build meaningful relationships with the residents there. I enjoyed caring for  them, which then inspired me to start a technology class for seniors who wanted to learn more about staying connected. During my time at Gonzaga, I interned for the Alzheimer’s Association which allowed me to learn a lot about the disease and how devastating it is for those who experience it and their families. There were a lot of scary statistics that I learned during my time there which led me to become more interested in how Alzheimer’s looked and developed in the brain.

I have been involved in music since I was little. I took piano and singing lessons as a kid and was involved in choirs growing up. Music has always been a creative outlet for me to express myself. Music is a powerful force that transcends barriers and is something that can connect us all. In high school I started writing my own music and became interested in production. I produced a lot of my own songs and became invested in the power of music. 

My honors thesis is the combination of two things I’m passionate about and how they can intertwine to affect each other. I have seen stories of how people can sing clearly even though they have a stutter and how music can help calm the nerves of many people with disabilities and mental health issues. I am now curious about how music can affect the memories of someone with Alzheimer's and dementia. This project has opened my eyes to the power of music and how it can transcend boarders of a powerful disease. It gives me hope that music can be harnessed to help improve the lives of many. I hope you enjoy my labor of love and learn something along the way!