For recent college graduate Lumiere Rostick, the decision to move in with their grandparents to help care for their grandfather, who has slow-advancing dementia, was a given.

The 22-year-old recently spoke with Next Avenue about their decision to complete their college degree out of their grandparents’ home in Georgia, aiding in the care of their grandfather in between virtual classes and coursework.

In sharing their story, Rostick speaks to the challenges of wanting to kick-start their career while feeling compelled to continue to care for a loved one. In the Summer 2020 issue of AFTD News, FTD caregiver Aisha Adkins, who placed her career on hold to care for her mother, shares a similar sentiment. Adkins, who has since gone back to school to earn a master’s degree, now works to raise awareness of young caregivers and the unique challenges they face.

An aspiring filmmaker, Rostick documented their time with their grandparents for a course assignment, and after submitting the film to “PBS American Portrait,” was featured on the national storytelling program in August.

“It [the film] wasn’t for any reason other than this feels like an important time,” Rostick told Next Avenue. “We’re in the middle of a global pandemic, which is by itself very weird. This country is on fire. Racially, we are at a peak it feels. There’s a lot going on in the world, and I’m living with my grandparents, so I’m going to document this.”

To read more about Rostick’s story, click here.