By Scott Jackson
When Hailey Klemo (’26 Accounting) and Hadley Franklin (’26 Hosp. Busi. Mgmt.) began their studies at WSU’s Carson College of Business, neither expected to build a career in senior living. However, both Klemo and Franklin completed minors in aging business management, which led to professional roles with Touchmark and Affinity Living Communities respectively.
Although they followed different academic paths, the freshly minted alums say the Granger Cobb Institute for the Business of Aging introduced them to opportunities they hadn’t previously considered. Through coursework, networking, and industry partnerships, both graduates found paths into a rapidly growing industry that combines business with meaningful work.
Finding an unexpected path
Klemo says she initially planned to pursue medicine, earning her phlebotomy license while studying biology before realizing the clinical side of health care wasn’t the right fit. After switching to accounting, she discovered the aging business management minor through Granger Cobb Institute Director Nancy Swanger.
“At first, I didn’t know the industry was an option,” Klemo says. “But for me, it really is the perfect middle ground between health care, hospitality, and business.”
Franklin’s path looked different. She entered WSU already committed to hospitality business management, drawn by the program’s reputation, study abroad opportunities, and emphasis on hands-on learning and faculty mentorship. But as she explored possibilities, she realized traditional hospitality settings weren’t where she wanted to build her career.
“I loved hospitality, but the idea of working in clubs or hotels didn’t fully resonate with me,” Franklin says.
She says combining an aging business management minor with a hospitality business management major allowed her to apply her broader training in an industry she found more personally rewarding.
Exploring opportunities
Both graduates admit they initially shared many of the same assumptions about senior living that other students and the general public often have—that senior living equates to nursing homes. They say classroom speakers, site visits, and conversations with industry professionals quickly challenged those perceptions.
For Klemo, one of the biggest surprises was the breadth of careers available. From finance and operations to dining services and emerging technology, she discovered senior-living communities require professionals from nearly every business discipline. Her upcoming rotational program at Touchmark will introduce her to eight different leadership roles before she eventually transitions into a permanent position.
“I think my strengths are better suited to business, which is why I ended up here instead of medical school, but I still really wanted a fulfilling career,” Klemo says.
Franklin says her experiences at Bishop Place, a Pullman senior-living community near the WSU campus, helped her better understand both the challenges and the rewards of working in senior living.
“It’s the ability to have a positive impact on people every day,” Franklin says. “You get to connect with them, learn their stories, and understand where they came from.”
Building careers through connection
Both graduates credit the Granger Cobb Institute’s emphasis on relationship building with helping them move from interested students to young professionals entering the field.
They say Swanger and Program Specialist Darcie Bagott encouraged them to attend conferences and pursue networking opportunities with alumni, employers, and classroom speakers throughout their time at Carson. Those introductions ultimately led to internships, industry mentors, and employment opportunities.
“All the connections I made were because of them,” Klemo says. “I definitely would not be in this minor, let alone have a job in the field, without their support.”
Franklin says those connections helped transform an early interest into a clear career path.
“I’m so glad I discovered this industry in college,” she says. “It gave me the chance to work in a field where I can really make a difference.”
