Dedicated. Innovative. Mission-driven.

Shixuan Ai uses the power of music to reconnect residents with positive memories and emotions—and with each other. Joining 2Life just over a year ago, Shixuan coordinates the Joyful Connections program, 2Life’s creative, culturally sensitive therapeutic program to address the needs of residents on the memory loss spectrum.

With a graduate degree in music therapy, Shixuan has brought renewed energy to the program, combining movement, art, and music. Her sessions with residents are filled with song as she encourages participants to sing along as she plays the guitar or piano.
These musical interactions can be extremely powerful. Shixuan points to the example of one resident experiencing dementia who was withdrawn. “One day, I played a Chinese song and she just opened up. The music became a conversation tool that opened her memories,” she recalls, noting that music is an effective way to communicate across languages and cultures.

Shixuan encourages interactions among participants, creating a sense of belonging. “Sometimes, a participant will forget the lyrics to a song, but another person will fill in. They help and support each other,” she explains. “Participants feel they are not alone but part of a community.”

Shixuan says sharing her passion for music with older adults brings her deep satisfaction.
“I enjoy working with the residents at 2Life. Everyone here is focused on the same goal: to help the people who live here have a better quality of life,” she says. “Music can help.”

Sasha Zlotnikova understands that even a seemingly small gesture can make an enormous impact on someone else’s life. As Resident Services Coordinator at our Brighton campus, she assists residents with a wide range of needs—from helping them apply for health and nutrition benefits to connecting with home care services to arranging a ride to an appointment. No matter what the need, Sasha goes the extra mile to ensure each person is supported.

A native Russian speaker, Sasha serves as a crucial link for residents of Russian and Ukrainian backgrounds. In one recent instance, she helped a Russian-speaking couple re-establish lapsed health coverage, translating and advocating for them as they navigated a complex bureaucratic maze. “If I can make someone’s life a little bit easier, it just feels good,” she explains.

This is Sasha’s second time working at 2Life. After graduating college, she was an administrative assistant at our Brighton campus before moving on to work in the business world. “There was a lot of career and salary potential for me. But it wasn’t giving me a feeling of accomplishment,” she says. “At 2Life, I feel like I’m making an impact.”

Sasha’s drive to help others extends beyond 2Life. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, she has worked to provide support for those impacted by sending essential items and fundraising. “I want to do what I can to provide even a small amount of relief,” she says.

That compassion for others is a motivating force for Sasha. “To see the change in someone’s eyes when you’ve helped them is so rewarding,” she says. “That’s why I’m here.”

Bryan Rose says he likes to keep busy. That’s an understatement. While his title is Content Manager for 2Life’s marketing group, that doesn’t begin to describe all the ways he helps support his colleagues and 2Life residents.

As a team leader, Bryan is always on top of projects, making sure everyone is informed and supported. He takes on a variety of administrative tasks himself, enabling other team members to focus on what they do best. Bryan is always thinking about how something can be done better and how his team can be more impactful.

When something needs doing, Bryan is often one to step up and do it. That could mean directing parking at a 2Life fundraising event or serving meals to residents at a Thanksgiving dinner.

“I like being helpful and making someone else’s day just a bit easier,” Bryan says, noting that this is a theme at 2Life. “Everyone here is supporting each other, sharing their expertise, and making sure things happen on schedule.”

Before joining 2Life in the spring of 2022, Bryan worked in a variety of fields—including a stint in commercial radio. While he looks back on that chapter fondly, Bryan says coming to 2Life has connected him with a mission that really resonates.

“Everyone here wants to make life better for our residents and for people facing housing insecurity. People here drive that mission forward every day,” Bryan says. “That’s been very inspiring for me. 2Life is an amazing place.”