Molly PavlovichA Messiah Village resident and Messiah University student form a lasting connection through our immersive Students-in-Residence Fellowship.
Messiah University has long been a momentous place for Joyce Miller— a capsule of many fond memories.
Not only did she attend what was then Messiah College from 1958–1960 before transferring to Millersville University to finish her degree in education, it’s also where she met her husband, Ron, who later taught on campus as a music history professor for nearly 40 years. And currently, their granddaughter is a rising senior—the same graduating class as Messiah Lifeways’ first Students-in-Residence Fellow, Kelly Anderson.
When Joyce learned of the new partnership between Messiah Lifeways and the university last year, followed by the new Fellowship opportunity developed for students interested in exploring elements of senior living and healthcare, her life past and present merged uniquely.
“It’s only natural that I found a way to be involved,” said Joyce, who housed Kelly last summer in her cottage as she lived and worked on campus.
The Students-in-Residence Fellowship was a collaborative brainchild between Messiah Lifeways and Messiah University, with a shared goal of fostering fruitful intergenerational experiences and
relationships—a trending topic of significance in the senior living industry as a whole.
Across the country, senior living communities are considering collaborations with colleges to tap into an existing market for lifelong learning, similar to the goals of our existing Pathways Institute for Lifelong Learning, and preserve valuable connections across generations and the knowledge sharing that comes with doing so. Arizona State University even has a retirement living community, Mirabella, on its campus, and Purdue University and senior living provider Varcity have recently reached an agreement to establish a wellness-infused residential development in Discovery Park District at Purdue.
As Albert Einstein once said, “If you only talk to people like you, you’ll never learn anything new.”
FRUITFUL IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE
Kelly aspires to leverage her nursing major and hands-on experience to pursue a career as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) post-graduation—starting as a critical care nurse for several years and then applying to CRNA programs.
Self-identifying as an “old soul,” Kelly said she’s always enjoyed seeking wisdom from those older and wiser, and the experience living and working in a long-term care setting not only equipped her with skills and knowledge that will be valuable in the field of work she aims to enter, but it also filled her cup.
“There’s a lot of things we can learn from seeing people’s perspectives from other generations, who have experiences and knowledge to share from other times of life,” Kelly said. “This experience taught me that aging looks so different for everyone, and aging doesn’t have to be a negative thing. I’ve seen a lot of community built up on this campus, and people are still living full lives in their 70s, 80s, and 90s, with plenty of things to do and people to see.”
During her three-month Fellowship, Kelly worked shifts as a nursing assistant (NA), sometimes even in the Enhanced Living neighborhood where Ron currently resides.
“That made the experience all the more special,” Joyce said. “Kelly was often busy with her shifts on campus so the time we spent together was little, but I got to know her through her work ethic and her heart for others. And my husband got to know her too.”
Joyce still sees Kelly now and then as Kelly has continued working as an NA in a PRN capacity during her final semester at Messiah University. The two exchange smiles and warm hellos, mutually thankful for the unique experience that they shared. “We’ll always have a connection,” Joyce added.
True to her hospitable spirit, Joyce let her new friend Kelly know that she’s always welcome back—to visit or to stay the night if she ever needs to. The open-door invitation exists for future Fellows too, as Joyce has expressed interest in hosting another student if the opportunity once again presents itself, even encouraging some of her neighbors and friends to keep an open mind too.
“It gives me a lot of hope for future generations to see hard-working young people like Kelly who choose to step outside of their comfort zone and fully step into an atmosphere that is different than what she’s used to, to learn hands-on around-the-clock about what working for and living at a continuing care retirement community is like,” Joyce said.
“I have full confidence that Kelly will be a well-rounded person in whatever she does; it’s in her nature,” she added. “But because of this Fellowship, she’ll have an even fuller picture of what nursing care consists of before she graduates, and she’ll carry with her a willingness to hear other people’s ideas, perspectives, and feelings—whether they’re older than her, younger than her, or different in some other way. And that’s so important in today’s world.”
