J.C. Campbell and Naomi Herbst ’27 (right) chat about iPad tech at Westminster Shores during the “Mentor Up” event. Photos by Penh Alicandro ’22
J.C. Campbell, a retired college mathematics teacher, had her iPad pulled out and was sitting at a table on a recent Saturday morning surrounded by three Eckerd College students.
They were in a conference room at Westminster Shores, a retirement community and assisted living facility in St. Petersburg. With her service dog, a 9-year-old greyhound named Como curled up at her feet, J.C. explained to the students she was having issues accessing YouTube videos.
The students—Naomi Herbst, a junior animal studies and environmental studies student from Bristol Wisconsin; Harrison Jerum, a sophomore biology student from Pittsford, New York; and Ava Johnson, a senior political science student from Stillwater, Minnesota—offered several solutions. “Tell me more, tell me more,” J.C. said eagerly. And the students did.
A few minutes later, J.C. looked up from her device, smiled, and asked the students, “Are you going to be here next week?” Yes, the students assured her, they will.
J.C. and the Eckerd College students are part of Mentor Up, a technology training program from the AARP Foundation that helps older adults navigate their electronic devices and brightens their day. Mentor Up has partnered with Eckerd for the past eight years to hold both remote and in-person workshops that pair Eckerd students with Westminster residents and AARP members.
Eckerd College students did tutorials and answered technical questions for seniors as a part of the Reflective Service Learning course.
Tamar Shovali, Ph.D., associate professor of human development, is the guiding force behind Eckerd’s involvement in the program. All of the students in the program are members of her Aspects of Aging class. Part of the course includes volunteering with the Mentor Up program.
Shovali says she first approached AARP because she wanted to begin a Reflective Service Learning program. At the time, AARP’s field coordinator for Tampa Bay was Michelle Cyr ’02, an Eckerd graduate
“Michelle knew Eckerd students are special and would want to connect with older adults,” Shovali says. “I reached out to brainstorm, and this is what we came up with.”
Saturday’s Eckerd cohort of more than a dozen students was led by Adonaya Joyce, a senior human development and psychology student from Philadelphia. Adonaya is taking Eckerd’s Internship in Human Development course and chose to intern at Westminster Shores.
Harrison says being part of the program made him realize that older adults are “really quite like us. I can relate to them in many different ways. I was expecting it would be very frustrating trying to help them. But they’re a lot more tech savvy than I expected.
“This class is a great way to figure out if working with an older population is a good fit for you. I found this course made me more interested in the field. And it’s a great way to practice interacting with people you’re not used to talking with every day. I was a little nervous going in. What if they’re rude or mean, or I don’t know how to explain something? But all of the residents are very sweet and understanding, and so appreciative that we’re trying our best.
Ava says she gained an appreciation for working to meet people where they are. “And asking the right questions and being clear and concise,” she adds. “I want to go into the legal profession and this will help. Learning how to explain things effectively, especially little things.” Ava spent much of her time taking notes from the session that she would later give to J.C.
“She had been talking about how much she loves YouTube, so helping her download the app was important,” Ava says. “But she was telling us about her life. Building relationships and making intergenerational interactions is part of what we try to do.”
That point was driven home by Eckerd alumna Sarah Feehan ’19. Sarah is the resident lifestyle facilitator at Westminster Shores. In 2016, she was a human development student in Shovali’s Aspects of Aging class. “The residents are constantly asking questions about technology,” Sarah explains. “The average age here is in the mid-80s, and they’re afraid of technology because they didn’t grow up with it. If they press the wrong number, they think it might break something. So the technology help by itself is a huge benefit.
“But the greater benefit is the intergenerational interaction. There are so many benefits for both sides, and it really opens your eyes to how similar we all really are. Seeing the students get to learn from the residents who really enjoy passing along their wisdom … a lot of friendships are created through these programs.
“The residents are always excited when they see the students come in,” Sarah adds. “They end up feeling like adopted grandparents. And oftentimes the students are really blown away by how much they enjoyed spending time with older adults. There’s a lot of mutual respect in the room.”
Naomi’s grandfather is an immigrant from Ukraine who came to the U.S. during World War II. Like many older adults, he sometimes struggles with cell phones, iPads, and other devices. “My grandpa usually gets very frustrated, and he won’t admit he needs help,” Naomi says. “Now I know to give him time to process what I’ve said, to not infantilize him, and to have patience.
“I’ve always felt very strongly that ageism is a common form of discrimination that our society does not acknowledge,” she adds. “The program is a great way to learn about working with older adults, getting hands-on experience, and learning how to interact and problem solve with different generations.
“I think we helped J.C. today. Learning how to flip her iPad so she could find what she was looking for was a game-changer.”
A little later, as she and Como headed for the door, J.C. remarked, “I can’t tell you how touched I was by these young folks. I really enjoy them so much.”
