George Shannon's journey began after years of building elevators for Westinghouse Elevator Company, where he eventually transitioned to acting in commercials in Chicago.
For nearly three decades, Shannon worked on stage, in films, and on television, taking on various roles that explored the importance of social responsibility.
In 1995, he decided to take on the challenge presented by these acting roles, committing his life to serving others as they entered the third act of their lives, just as millions of "Baby Boomers" were turning 60.
Shannon returned to college, earning a Bachelor's, Master's, and Ph.D. in Gerontology from the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California (USC),with the latter two degrees being completed at the same institution.
While still an undergraduate, he discovered Gerontology, taking a class titled "Women and Aging" that sparked his passion for the subject.
He spent over a decade researching long-term care, earning a Master's and Ph.D. at USC and being nominated to Phi Kappa Phi and Sigma Phi Omega, two prestigious academic honor societies.
Shannon's research was published in seven peer-reviewed articles in professional journals.
Before pursuing his academic career, Shannon worked as an actor for nearly 30 years, studying acting at Second City in Chicago and Lee Strasberg's private classes and at the Actor's Studio in New York and Los Angeles.
He performed in over 50, plays half a dozen feature films, and contract roles on three daytime series, as well as recurring roles on two others, and co-starring roles on several nighttime series.
Additionally, Shannon taught improvisation for five years at an acting workshop in Los Angeles and directed several theater productions, skills that enhanced his teaching and presentation abilities.
