MS HAWAII SENIOR AMERICA 2020-21,
GINNI GORDON

CONGRATULATIONS to GINNI GORDON, Ms Hawaii Senior America 2020-21!

I  am a California girl, born and raised in Long Beach. I am 81 years young. I have four children and five grandchildren. I attended college at University of California, Los Angles; my major was Dental Hygiene. I also secured a Health Science teaching credential from California State College Long Beach, and taught in the dental schools at University of Southern California and my alma mater, UCLA. I have a Certificate in Addiction counseling, and have worked educating parents whose children have drug/alcohol problems. I retired in 2001, and started my next life.

Since retiring, my life has been dedicated to volunteering, entertaining and writing. I belong to an organization called Women's Journey Foundation that portrays the women of history that have contributed to the rights women now enjoy. I have used my acting skills playing Susan B. Anthony, Eleanor Roosevelt, Billie Jean King, Mary Kay Ash, and, my favorite, Rosie the Riveter.

I  have published a workbook that is available on Amazon called "If Not Now, When?" This book guides the reader through the retirement process, helping them discover their talents and skills and how to use them to find their "what’s next?" I lecture to groups using the principles in my book and do individual counseling. I have also used some of the exercises in my book to work with homeless women, helping them examine their past experiences to find out what's next for them.

Having lost a grandson to Leukemia, I am active in a non-profit called Gold Rush Cure Foundation that presents individual gifts to children diagnosed with cancer. My daughter and I are presently writing a book to help parents through the process of supporting their child’s recovery.

I  use my dancing skills (I have been a Polynesian dancer for twenty years), singing and directing talents in a group called "The California Sizzlin’ Seniors." This group is the Original sanctioned performing group, began in 2001, and is composed of former Ms Senior America Pageant Queen winners and contestants.