Mario The Empanada Man for AARP Magazine

Mario, aka. The Empanada Man, makes empanadas for his friends at The Palace, a senior living community in Coral Gables, FL.

Photo by Mary Beth Koeth for AARP

Art Direction by Katrina Zook

Why Moms Are Pioneering the Marijuana Industry | Parents Magazine

There may still be a stigma around marijuana use across the country, but these mothers are blazing the way for women in the cannabis industry.

Melanie Sylvan Sachs and her son Elias, 2, at their home in Windermere, FL.

📷 by Mary Beth Koeth
Art Direction by Sarina Finkelstein

September 2019 | Southwest: The Magazine

“After the Ohio Senior Olympics, Dad and his friends started training in earnest. They traveled to other ping-pong clubs, testing themselves against different players. Doc hired a coach, a kid in his 20s who is trying to make the actual U.S. Table Tennis team. My dad started being more conscientious about what he ate: fewer late-night potato chips, more vegetables.”

The Fountain of Youth Has a Net | September 2019 | Southwest: The Magazine

Writing by Laura Arenschield

Photography by Mary Beth Koeth

Art Direction by Desiree Espada

Creative Direction by Kevin de Miranda

Wardrobe and props provided by Broadview Heights Spotlights Theatre

AARP | Richard Conti

This is the kind of assignment that makes my heart sing.
📷 by Mary Beth Koeth for AARP

“When I hear music, I feel electrified. I can’t just sit there—I’ve got to get up and dance. I got my first job as a cruise ship dance host when I was about 70. Since then, I’ve filled my time with three or four trips a year. It’s not a paid gig, but you do get food and lodging in exchange for a small daily fee. I do ballroom dances with the women traveling solo. My job is to make everyone look good on the dance floor. I get to meet all these lovely people. I don’t think of my age when I do this. It seems to erase time.” —As told to Michael Anft

Former high school teacher Richard Conti, 83, lives in Arlington, Massachusetts.