What happens when a college classroom assignment becomes something much more meaningful? For residents of Arbor Terrace Monmouth and students at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, the answer unfolded beautifully inside the sunlit Guggenheim Memorial Library.
Residents and team members from Arbor Terrace Monmouth recently joined students enrolled in the university's "Wisdom, Wellness, and Aging" course for a special interview experience designed to deepen students' understanding of aging through real, human connection. The assignment called for students to interview an adult over the age of 70 about their life experiences, values, relationships, and reflections. What followed was anything but ordinary.
For Brooke Bennett, Engagement Director at Arbor Terrace Monmouth, the visit carried personal significance. A 2022 Monmouth University graduate with a degree in Business Administration, Brooke returned to her alma mater alongside resident Raymond "Ray" Ross, who himself earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees from Monmouth in the late 1960s. Two Monmouth alumni, decades apart, walking the same campus together.
"Bringing work and community together has always been something I deeply value," Brooke shared, "and this experience was a beautiful reminder of why."
The students, for their part, walked away transformed. "From my conversation, it was put into perspective that aging is a symbol of wisdom and a reflection of a life filled with memories, lessons, and connections," said student Jacqueline Peeke. "I was able to go from talking to a stranger at the beginning to becoming a friend that I was able to laugh and smile with."
Student Marika Hiras echoed that sentiment after speaking with a resident named Bernice. "After talking with Bernice, the concept of age just being a number really made sense," she said. "Her humor and recollection of life experiences" left a lasting impression.
At Arbor Terrace Monmouth, connections like these are not coincidental. The community maintains an active partnership with Monmouth University, bringing students and residents together regularly through educational programs and intergenerational experiences that enrich life on both sides of the conversation.
Read the full story as covered by The Monmouth Journal Eastern here.
