Oak Crest Residents Enjoy Intergenerational Project

Parkville, Maryland--In her essay, The Power of Presence, psychologist Debbie Hall writes that I am “…repeatedly struck by the healing power of connection created by being fully there in the quiet understanding of another. In it, none of us are truly alone. The power of presence is not a one-way street, not only something we give to others. It always changes me, and always for the better.”

It’s that philosophy that’s at the heart of an oral history/biography project between students from Loyola University Maryland and residents of Oak Crest, an Erickson Living-managed community.

“At Loyola, there is a real emphasis on service,” says Dr. Andrea Leary, Ph.D. who teaches writing at the Baltimore Jesuit Catholic University. “I wanted to do a project for the students that was meaningful. Writing is something that students don’t always get excited about. If they know that their writing has a greater goal than the grade, a lot of times that really gives them an impetus to do even better. I thought this would be a really neat opportunity to create a partnership with people to learn from one another. It’s important that we hear from people’s own voices of what their life experience has been…we can build solidarity that way.”

The two-month-long project was assigned as part of a Gendered Rhetoric class. Sixteen female Oak Crest residents were selected and randomly paired with Loyola students. Over the course of six to eight weeks, students spoke with their resident partner once a week via telephone to learn about her life experiences, opinions, and lessons she has learned, culminating in a biography.

Nadine Wellington, community resources manager at Oak Crest, served as the liaison for the project. She participated in a Zoom session with students prior to the start of the project to provide background about Oak Crest and its residents.

“There’s a ton of good content and a wealth of opportunities, for both the residents and students, to learn and grow from this experience,” says Wellington.

Intergenerational friendships

Martie Noel, a retired teacher of the Baltimore County Public School System who moved to Oak Crest in 2018 from Joppatowne, volunteered to participate in the project.

“Each week my student gave me four questions to think about and then we discussed them for about a half-hour over the phone,” says Martie. “Some of the questions were easy, for example, ‘What was school like?’ ‘What was your good subject and your bad subject?’ Some of them were very personal like, ‘Is there anything you regret not asking your parents?’ ‘How would you like to be remembered?’ And, ‘What is the biggest or hardest obstacle you have faced in your life?’ It will be interesting to read the biography and see what her take on it was.”

Retired nurse and mother of four Joanne Stevenson is a 13-year resident of Oak Crest. She says she enjoyed being part of the project. “I didn’t hesitate at all when they asked if I would like to participate,” says Joanne. “My student asked me all kinds of questions about my life. It brought back some good memories and some that were sad. But I’m glad I was part of it. If I like the biography, I will probably make copies and give it to my children.”

Throughout the project, Dr. Leary regularly checked in with students on their progress. “I would ask them if they had a question that they posed to their partner that was really impactful that they wanted to share with the class—something that inspired a neat conversation,” says Dr. Leary. “I also had the students look up some of the major historical points that were going on during their partner’s lifetime like the Vietnam War, civil rights, World War II, or rationing.”

Susan Klingensmith, who moved to Oak Crest from Overlea four years ago, was initially apprehensive about sharing her life story with a stranger over the phone, but that quickly faded after getting to know her student partner.

“We talked once a week for an hour and got to know each other,” says Susan, whose partner was a psychology major and Philadelphia native. “She was very easy to talk to. In fact, I invited her to call one of my children to ask, what kind of parent I was. It’s been a lot of fun and a wonderful experience. I do some genealogy, so I guess this biography will go along with it.”

This is not the first time Oak Crest residents have partnered with local students. In recent years, residents have participated in a pen pal program with Deep Creek Elementary School in Essex; a Buddy Reading program with City Neighbors Charter School located in northeastern Baltimore City; a hands-on gardening project with students from Rosedale Baptist School; as well as performing in an intergenerational concert with students from Edgewood High School.

“The opportunity for our residents to share their stories with young people sincerely interested in what they have to say is a win-win for everyone involved,” says Wellington. “For the students, it’s a chance to learn and appreciate the richness inherent in the lives of our residents as they reflect on the past. For the residents, it’s an opportunity to connect with another generation, make a new friend, and impart wisdom to a fresh audience. Hopefully, what students come away with is not just a finished product, but the knowledge that the essence of life is ageless.”

Written by Danielle Rexrode

About Oak Crest: Oak Crest, one of 20 continuing care retirement communities developed and managed by Erickson Living®, is situated on a scenic 87-acre campus in Parkville, Maryland. The not-for-profit community of more than 2,100 residents and 1,250 employees is governed by its own board of directors, affiliated with National Senior Campuses, Inc., who provide independent financial and operational oversight of Oak Crest. Additional information can be found at OakCrestCommunity.com.