Carolina Meadows resident Marge Yanker used to be vice president of the American Management Association. One of her roles was to help corporate executives moving up in the ranks to feel good about themselves so they could take on new challenges.

“As individuals age and move up into retirement, they, too, need to feel good about themselves,” Yanker said. “No longer anchored to careers and family responsibilities, most of us ask ourselves, ‘but who am I now?’”

Speaking to 60 Carolina Meadows residents at a recent Women’s Luncheon, Yanker suggested four essential ingredients that will help you define yourself whether you are a senior citizen or a corporate executive.

“We absolutely need to have models in later life, someone who taught us values, who loved us,” Yanker said. “We also need a sense of connectedness, to our heritage, to our models, to our friends. We need to be part of something we believe in.”

“Thirdly, we need a sense of uniqueness. We are what we do. Finally, we need a sense of power – of what we can release in ourselves and in others. Don’t be afraid of being a risk taker,” Yanker concluded.

The mother of five children, Yanker managed to pursue a career in anthropology, education and corporate management. She served as Dean of Graduate Studies and then Associate Chancellor of the University of South Carolina Beaufort. She was a Vice President and Director of Organizational Development for the American Management Association and eventually founded her own consulting company, Yanker Associates. She moved to Carolina Meadows three years ago and has been managing our Gift Shop ever since.

By Rita Borden