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Congratulations, Jihane Jeanty! 🎉
Here's her submission for the 'AARP Benefits Badass Contest:'
You NEED an AARP membership! (by @JollyJihane, May 29, 2023) (YouTube)
➡️ AARP Names First Benefits Badass (by Robin L. Flanigan, AARP - Published August 24, 2023)
Jihane Jeanty, a 36-year-old full-time digital marketer from Florida, has been named AARP’s Benefits Badass after a nationwide search.
Jeanty competed against 40,000 contestants vying for the title — the first of its kind. She takes home a $50,000 prize for her video demonstrating how the benefits of AARP membership help people make their money, health and happiness live as long as they do.
“I was just coming off a client call and thought this was the best news ever,” she says of learning she won. “I was just praising God and jumping around and looking for ice cream in my freezer, feeling so happy and so blessed that so many people voted for me.”
The competition, which launched in April, invited U.S. residents 18 years or older to submit a video sharing how they make the most of AARP benefits. Thousands of people voted for their favorite entry.
One of 20 finalists, Jeanty surged to the top with the help of her infectious enthusiasm. In her video entry, which notes that AARP has something for everyone “whether you’re 18 or 80,” she uniquely combines her special brand of creativity, charisma and video production quality with a deep appreciation for how AARP information, programs, tools and other benefits have helped improve her life and the lives of others.
“We are excited to crown Jihane as our first-ever Benefits Badass to help showcase how AARP benefits help her give back to her community, save money, stay healthy and have fun,” said Barbara Shipley, AARP senior vice president of brand integration. “AARP thanks everyone who participated in this contest for showing the country what being an AARP Benefits Badass means.”
AARP benefits help members save money, give back to their community and stay healthy. Jeanty’s goal is to share tips and tricks and turn the “masses into badasses.” In 2022, AARP members saved $460 million with everyday discounts.
“There are a lot of misconceptions that you have to be retired or an older person to join AARP … [but] AARP is a brand that’s for the people,” says Jeanty. “I’m a millennial and became a member about two years ago and since then have thoroughly enjoyed the plethora of information AARP gives you.”
As an experienced content creator, Jeanty wanted her video to be both authentic and valuable for the audience.
In her video submission, Jeanty mentioned that AARP provides resources for family caregivers because she’s dealt with family health issues. Her father battled cancer in 2021, and in 2020, when her mother had pneumonia and severe arthritis, Jeanty and her younger brother became her caregivers.
She mentioned AARP’s financial planning tools because she used the home budget calculator to consider whether she could afford to purchase property. And her nod to AARP’s listing of volunteer opportunities is a memory of helping out at a Los Angeles food bank when visiting a friend.
Jeanty, who describes herself as “open,” “spirited” and “young at heart,” shares her own spin on her new title: “A badass does what they want when they want, but not at the disservice of other people. They can be proud of themselves without any external validation. And they don't tell you they’re a badass — they just show you they’re a badass.”
And for those wondering, on the night she accepted the Benefits Badass crown, Jeanty ate an entire pint of Ben & Jerry’s The Tonight Dough ice cream. (“That’s OK,” she says. “I’d just won a huge prize.”)
Keep an eye on Jeanty’s social media channels, including TikTok (@jolly_jihane) and Instagram (@jolly_jihane) to see how she embodies what it means to be AARP’s Benefits Badass. She will also appear on select AARP social media channels.
Robin L. Flanigan is a contributing writer who covers mental health, education and human-interest stories for several national publications.
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