On December 12th, students from Dr. Bell’s AP Language and Composition classes visited Shaker Pointe, a nearby retirement community, to meet with their pen pals. As part of the class, the students had been writing letters to elderly residents in the community, bonding with them through one of the most classic forms of literature. On this long-awaited day, they finally met their pen pals and enjoyed a lovely luncheon.
The guidelines for the letters were open-ended so the students could bond with their pen pals over many different things. They wrote about their hobbies, families, plans for the future, fond memories, and more. Some lucky students even received cat pictures in their envelopes!
As they arrived at the community, the students were greeted by smiling faces and assigned seating at perfectly set tables. An environment of warmth enveloped the room as residents filed in and went to sit with their student pen pals. Everyone could bond across generational lines while enjoying a delicious Mexican spread. Conversations centered around plans for college, shared interests, and differences in lifestyles. The residents were also eager to share their gossip. Many pen pals exchanged phone numbers while promising to write traditional letters. The residents then excitedly took their pen pals on a community tour. Some students battled it out at the pool table; others stole leftover desserts from the dining area. I met my pen pal’s dog, a small black puppy with an asymmetrical underbite and the softest fur I’ve ever pet. Sadness was felt throughout the room when the struggle to get everyone in the frame for a group photo was over, and it was time to part ways.
Upon leaving, many classmates shared their thoughts on the trip. Some students had mixed feelings. Shayla Mieu commented, “I thought it was fun. We got to talk with our pen pal and then played games and other things. But they’re in such a different generation, it was a little hard to talk to them.” This is a sentiment that some people shared, as the shift in correspondence from letter to in-person could be a bit jarring or awkward at first. However, after the initial discomfort, most people slowly began to open up to each other in a comforting atmosphere. The overall consensus was overwhelmingly positive. Haein Park enthusiastically remarked, “It was definitely an experience! I learned a lot about the past, and I would like to go again in the future.” The majority of the group felt the same way, as they were able to learn about the residents’ experiences of the retirement home on this unique trip. We all excitedly await the second trip to Shaker Pointe later this year.
This experience was educational and fun for the students. They connected with people very different from themselves through shared interests, lifestyles, and humanity. They formed deep connections with new people, both among the residents and among their fellow students, courtesy of awkward assigned seating pairs. They encountered generational differences and learned to work through uncomfortable situations due to modern social norms. It was a successful trip enjoyed by everyone involved and a significant learning experience that changed the students’ perspectives on life and the people they live it with.