Bridging generations: Whitworth and Rockwood unite for lifelong learning and friendship

Bridging generations: Whitworth and Rockwood unite for lifelong learning and friendship

News story by Mia Gallegos | FāVS News

A unique partnership between Whitworth University and Rockwood Retirement in North Spokane has proven intergenerational connections hold great value to both students and the elderly alike. 

Eowyn Sallis, the vice president of sales and marketing for Rockwood, explained how there has been overwhelming positive feedback from current and prospective residents of Rockwood at Whitworth retirement community. Many label this partnership as one of the deciding factors in choosing Rockwood.

“Rockwood is the largest provider of retirement living in Spokane. It was important for us to have something that is unique to (this) community. We did a survey about why residents were choosing to live here at Rockwood and the main reason was for the (Whitworth) University partnership,” Sallis said. 

Residents of Rockwood are able to take various classes at Whitworth, while students studying things like physical and occupational therapy at the university are able to get some practical experience. This helps residents and forms relationships with students. 

In addition to the classes, Rockwood residents are able to attend various special events at the school. These include theater performances, music events and other activities of that nature. The residents can also take advantage of the library and the swimming facility on campus. 

Rockwood at Whitworth’s beginnings

Ideas for this sort of a partnership began circling around five years ago. Sallis explained how she and the former CEO of Rockwood began this conversation after attending a webinar about a retirement community in Florida. This facility had taken the steps to forge a connection with a nearby university.

“We met with the president (of Whitworth) and started the conversation about starting something like this. They were intrigued by the success and all the wonderful things that came from this structure. We came up with a very broad stroke of what the partnership could look like,” Sallis said. 

A large part of this partnership is the geographical element. Trisha Coder, the director of media relations at Whitworth, explained how proximity made the decision to move forward with this collaboration self-evident.

“It makes sense because they’re right across the street,” Coder said.

And that accessibility was important for older residents of Rockwood. 

Coder went on to describe the benefits students are reaping from having some of these residents among them on campus.

“We have a lot of international students and those from out-of-state whose families are far away. This is sort of like having their aunt and uncle or grandparents around. They develop these really wonderful friendships and they get to learn so many things,” Coder said.

Rockwood at Whitworth’s success

Sallis detailed a specific scenario that came as a result of the partnership that she found heartwarming.

“One of our residents and his wife signed up for the program, and their granddaughter goes to Whitworth. So they’ll go to class and then get coffee with her. They get to be a part of her college experience which is unique,” Sallis said.

Two other residents of Rockwood, Diane and Rick Thomas, shared each of their experiences with the partnership.

Rick Thomas explained how they were some of the first residents to sign up for classes when it was announced they would be able to audit certain classes of their choosing. 

“We knew a lot of people at the university, some of the professors and all that. So that was exciting to us,” Thomas said.

The first classes that Rick and Diane Thomas took at the university were philosophy and theology respectively.

Diane Thomas explained how the high-level theology course she was enrolled in was quite a challenge. However, she added they are avid learners and not afraid of picking up something difficult. 

“We both, I would say, are lifelong learners. We’ve taken advantage of opportunities along the way to enrich our lives,” Diane Thomas said.

Intergenerational learning

She also shared how their college-aged grandchildren are very proud of them for making the decision to continue learning, despite their academic lives being in the distant past.

“They say ‘we think it’s so cool that you go to school.’ And it gives us something to talk to them about,” Diane Thomas said.

Rick Thomas went on to say how he felt as though he was able to further the classroom experience for some of his younger classmates when it came to sharing advice surrounding careers and the future.

“Another gentleman from Rockwood and I took [philosophy] at Whitworth, and we just loved interacting and getting the ideas and philosophies of the students. I think we added something to the class just by our life experiences,” he said.

‘Rockin’ Mentors’ at Whitworth

Another aspect of this program is the Rockin’ Mentors program. This gives Rockwood residents the chance to sign up to be a mentor for a Whitworth student and share their personal experiences from when they were within their own careers. This allows Whitworth students to hear and receive advice from someone who may have worked in the field they are hoping to pursue post-grad. 

“It’s exciting to see our faculty and lecturers all get involved and take a willingness in this partnership. It’s benefitting all ages,” Coder said. 

Sallis explained how she hopes that this partnership will expand into other bodies on campus in the coming years.

“One lady that I interviewed was involved in a similar partnership. They had a pep club for the women’s basketball and each team member was partnered with a membership. The residents had their own ‘pal player’. As these folks graduated, oftentimes their resident pep club members would be invited to their weddings and other occasions in their lives,” Sallis said.

She feels like something similar would be a fun thing to incorporate into the partnership. 

The Thomas’ shared how they both wish Whitworth would lengthen the list of classes offered to the residents of Rockwood.

“There’s a limited selection of classes we can take, and I’d like to see them expand that a little bit so that there would be more opportunities to get into some different fields,” Rick Thomas said.

He hopes this expansion will be something Whitworth considers in the future years in their collaboration with Rockwood.

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