Living to the age of 100 is no small feat. There are only an estimated 98,000 centenarians in the United States, and I had the great honor of having a chance to speak with one. Her name is Carolyn Stifel, and she was born Oct. 31, 1923, making her an awe-inspiring 102 years old.

During our 45-minute discussion I got to hear about everything from her early life growing up in Louisiana, reminiscing about playing with neighborhood friends and making mud pies, to living during World War II, facing rationing and fearing for her brother after he joined the navy. After the war, Stifel volunteered with a group of people from around the world to build houses in Finland after much of the country was destroyed.

Throughout the interview she shared numerous pearls of wisdom about life. Most notably, when I asked her what advice she would give to someone my age, she said, “Trust yourself. Trust those you find that are able to inspire you.”

What I did not anticipate going into this interview was for her to ask me just as many questions as I asked her. She was just as interested in learning about my life as I was in learning about hers. She asked about my family, school and hobbies. The conversation transformed from a one-sided interview into a two-way exchange of experiences and became an amazing point of connection between two people born 88 years apart.

Having a chance to speak with someone so different from you is a very eye-opening experience and can really provide new perspective. There is certainly a lot to be learned from Ms. Stifel’s passion for helping others in any way she can.